The Death of Dragonball Z
by Usarea
Summary: O.U.our universe. A girl get her wish granted to enter the world of DBZ. But is it all what it's cracked up to be? More importantly, is she a threat? Find out more about her strange adventures of making love and enimies! Story COMPLETE! READNREVIEW!
1. Wish with all your heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. No one would watch it anymore. But I do get a kick out of placing my odd stories up on the internet. So, enjoy. ----- Television references. "" talking '' thinking ** Telepathy (chapter breaks too 0.o)  
  
******Chapter One******  
  
----Androids 19 and 20 were standing in the mists of Goku, Tien, Piccolo, Krillian and the fallen Yamcha. The reaction was that of shock at seeing their fallen comrade on the ground and soaked in his own blood. Android 20 allowed Yamcha to slide off of his wrist and fall to the ground with a thud.  
  
----"Krillian! Get Yamcha, quick!" Goku yelled frantically to his oldest and dearest friend.  
  
The girl leaned closer to the screen. Her bright blue eyes were wide with a look of inquisitive thought. Light brown hair fell gently around her face; she made sure the hair cut matched that of android eighteen's. She loved this rerun of Dragonball Z.  
  
She lay on her bed, stomach side down. Her elbows were propped on the edge of her bed as she stared almost directly into the television's screen. She then rolled over onto her back as to see them upside down and laughed slightly. The same thought came to her every time she seen that episode.  
  
"Yep! Send in the bald midget! I would!" she said out loud.  
  
It was funnier the first time.  
  
'Krillian gets all the crappy jobs.' She mused to herself.  
  
The earphones almost fell out of her ears as she tried to turn over once again to gaze at the once again in the upright position. She was a tall, slender and almost twenty. She still lived with her grandparents only because she was still going to school. She now lay in the quiet solitude of her room. She wore a large Dragonball Z t-shirt that consisted of only the Saiyans in their Super-Saiyan forms.  
  
The screen then went to that of Gohan before Dr. Gero, disguised as an android, started blowing up South City.  
  
The girl frowned and then looked at her large assortment of Dragonball Z tapes.  
  
'The next one I'm watching is the one where Gohan's closer to my age.' She thought and then smiled at the prospects.  
  
Suddenly another thought occurred to her, she then gave a quick glance behind her to her alarm clock on her bedside table.  
  
The clock read: 11:56 pm.  
  
Shock went through her body like a bolt of lightning.  
  
'Only four minutes!' she thought hurriedly.  
  
She got up as quickly as she could and threw on her bedroom slippers and her robe from the place beside her bedroom door. As she put on her robe and was slowly putting on the bedroom slippers, she listened attentively for any sounds that her grandparents might awaken. She took her watch off her dresser and slipped it onto her wrist. She then slowly opened her door, slipped out and tiptoed quietly down the hall. She could hear her grandfather snoring noisily in the next room. When the snoring ceased, so did she. Cold fear gripped her heart. When hearing the buzz-saw effect start up again she breathed a sigh of relief and continued onward.  
  
She reached the front door, unlocked it quietly, and then stepped onto the front porch. The cold ripped right through her, but her determination never faltered. She held her fuzzy robe closer as she stepped out into the frost covered ground of her front yard.  
  
The night clouds whipped silently past the full, bright moon. She shivered violently as she gazed up to the moon.  
  
'December twenty-fourth. This is the year the moon glows full on a Christmas Eve. Man I've waited a long time for this.' she thought as she gazed at the moon.  
  
'Maybe, this time it'll work.' She thought almost sadly at her other failed attempts.  
  
'I've tried for three years strait. this time it's got to work!' she thought as she glanced down at her watch.  
  
11:59.  
  
'Almost time.' She thought.  
  
She thought of the old story she heard when she was young, about the night of Christmas Eve. That if you looked into the sky on that Eve when the clock struck midnight, looked into the heavens and gave a wish, that that wish would come true by morning. When she was young she had no wishes, but now. she had a wish, she had the same wish for four years.  
  
She looked down at her watch as the second hand made it's way around. She gave a glance back at the house she shared with her grandparents. The presence was almost ominous. She looked back up at the moon desperately. The seconds counting down in her head till they were no more. Her lungs filled with the cold night air before she put forth her sorrows into words.  
  
"I wish to leave this place! I don't want to be here any more! All this pain and suffering! I want to be in the world were Goku and all the Z Fighters are! I want to be one of them! I want to fly! I want to be strong! I want to be fast! I want to fight! I want to be free! I don't want to be here any more!!" she screamed into the heavens as she had done for four times past.  
  
This year was different to her. This year she felt like she stood a chance. She felt like her dreams just might be realized this time. But as she stared into the sky she felt nothing was different. Tears welled in her eyes and then erupted onto her cheeks, down to her chin and onto her chest. Before more could come the harsh night winds came and swept the previous ones away.  
  
Before she new it, she drug her shivering body back into the warmth of her dwelling place. Shut the door, locked it. She made her way back to her bedroom, closed her door gently. She let the robe fall to the floor and left her slippers behind as she walked reluctantly back to her bed.  
  
Before she got there she took a slight glance back at her video collection. At the murals made from the various sagas. She saw the happy looks on teenage Gohan's face and the wonderful fights that were frozen in those pictures. Some how, even though those same pictures made her happy, they made her depressed.  
  
Her eyes closed for a second and she gave a deep sorrow filled sigh before climbing under the covers and allowing the warmth fill her body where the cold night air had numbed her so. She cried some more before drifting into her silent slumber.  
  
'God I hate this desolate place.' She thought before darkness enclosed her.  
  
Two hours. it felt like two minutes. Someone was nudging her. Her bed was abnormally lumpy, and slightly uncomfortable.  
  
'Damn sheets got tangled underneath me again.' She thought unhappily.  
  
At least she was warm without the covers on top.  
  
'Had someone turned on her light? It's bright in here.' She thought burring her head deeper into her bed.  
  
'Smells kind of funny. got to change the sheets.' she thought.  
  
The nudging continued, only slightly harder this time and a little more violently. She swatted at it absentmindedly.  
  
"Dang it Grandma, I don't have to work today. The store's closed on Christmas Eve, you know that." She said groggily and attempted to turn slightly, her bed shifted slightly under her.  
  
"Turn off the light while you're at it, kay?" she asked waving blindly at the direction of the nudger.  
  
She heard a slight growl.  
  
"Damn it! Get up and tell me who you are and how you got here!" a loud voice called down to her.  
  
Her eyes shot open.  
  
'That voice. it sounds like.' she thought and slowly pushed herself up and turned her head.  
  
She was laying on the ground. Beside her she saw first, a pair of white boots. Her eye twitched slightly as she worked her line of vision up to see royal blue spandex with built legs underneath, her eyes quickly skipped the groin area and steadily found a muscle-bound chest incased in Saiyan armor. Out of pure terror her vision would've stopped there, but her curiosity carried her further. Her eyes meet that of a scowling prince. A gasp of air filled her lungs as she meant to let out a shriek, but all that came out was air.  
  
"V-V-V-Vegeta?" she stammered and then looked down at her bed.  
  
She then suddenly realized she was laying on the second pure blooded Saiyan. He almost looked out cold. Her mind was racing so quickly. She barely realized she was sitting right atop of Goku and in her night gown never-the-less.  
  
Her eyes wavered and her body shook slightly.  
  
"I.I.I-I-I" she stammered more, not knowing what to say or how to react.  
  
"Spit it out girl! I haven't got all day!" he spat angerly towards her.  
  
She looked up at him through watering eyes.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW!!!" she cried pittifully.  
  
*****************  
  
Well. how what that? Start out with a cliff, leave ya hanging? Well, how else am I going to know you like it? Can't wait to hear from you cause I love reviews. Ja Ne Always! Usarea=^.^= 


	2. A whole new world

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. No one would watch it anymore. But I do get a kick out of placing my odd stories up on the internet. So, enjoy. ----- Television references. "" talking '' thinking ** Telepathy (chapter breaks too 0.o)  
  
********Chapter Two********  
  
The girl sat on Goku, looking down at him through unfocused eyes. The world around her spun.  
  
'Where am I?' her thoughts spun around her as she sat, not in her bed room as she originally thought, but in a different world entirely.  
  
Her hands were pressed on Goku's chest. She watched in a dream-like state. His teeth were gritted in anguish and his breathing was in short gasps. She was about to withdraw her hands when she noticed something different. She stared at her hands for several seconds. The wind picked up and a whistling sound came as dust began to fly.  
  
'The world of. D.B.Z.?' she thought.  
  
Her hands were different, they weren't defined in a third-dimensional aspect, they were, anime.  
  
'I'm dreaming right? I'm still in my bed, this is all a dream.' she thought on the verge of tears.  
  
But the world seemed too real to be fake. The numbness that came with her usual dreams were no longer present. She felt Goku beneath her, she felt the scorching sun and she felt the hot breezes as the flowed from the east. But before she could get another thought in she felt a strong hand grab the back of her collar and pull her into the air. Her legs dangled on the ground as Vegeta pulled her violently closer. His eyes reflected the heat of his anger. Terror leapt into hers. Her eyes wide, tears welling.  
  
"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE! I don't have time for any of your childish games! NOW TALK, DAMN YOU!" Vegeta growled in almost a yell.  
  
Now she really began crying. A blush was blazing on her cheeks as Vegeta held on to the back of her shirt, and the back of the shirt had risen, revealing her flowered underpants for all those to see behind her. She looked around at the desolate world she was in. Vegeta and forced her to face him, but her eyes cast down to the golden sand in the corner of her eye. Her body trembled more as she couldn't find her voice. She mouthed words but still no sound would come out.  
  
"SPEAK UP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" he said fiercely.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW!" she sobbed loudly and began whimpering.  
  
Her tears fell heavily down her cheeks.  
  
Vegeta sneered.  
  
"Worthless child." he said and then tossed her to the side.  
  
She hit the ground with a hard thud and rolled to her side. She felt as if she had been tossed off a horse. Her eyes were wide with fear, pain coursed through her body.  
  
'It always seemed so simple on TV.' she thought. 'but it really hurts.' She thought as she was finally able to heave herself up into a somewhat sitting position.  
  
She was still unable to look up to Vegeta.  
  
"I'll deal with you later." He hissed to her.  
  
Her heart missed a beat before it started to pound thunderously into her ears.  
  
She closed her eyes tightly.  
  
'Please God! Don't let me die!' she thought desperately.  
  
"As for you! No one can kill Kakorot! Destiny has reserved that privilege for me!" Vegeta said to someone not far from where they were.  
  
Realization clicked inside her head as she slowly looked up. She first looked to Vegeta and then her gaze went to Goku and then it slowly went into the direction that Vegeta's cocky expression was aimed.  
  
There stood the pale, round android from the beginning of the android saga. Her eyes grew wide as she looked farther behind him to see almost all of the Z fighters standing behind the android of Dr. Gero.  
  
'The androids! At least I know what episode I'm in!' she thought and realized that Vegeta was about to kick Goku to Piccolo.  
  
Fear paralyzed her before, but now fear motivated her. She then started running blindly towards the Z fighters.  
  
'Safety, must have safety!' she thought.  
  
But before she got to the fighters, the Dr. Gero android suddenly blocked her path.  
  
She stopped in horror as she realized he looked much more ominous in person.  
  
'To think. I used to make fun of this old guy none stop.' she thought regretfully unable to do so now.  
  
Her legs wobbled a bit, as if they didn't know whether to stay, or to go.  
  
The old man's intense ice blue eyes stared at her, piercing her being.  
  
"Who are you girl? I do not have you in my data." He stated mechanically.  
  
'Who am I?' she thought to herself.  
  
"I'm Cassie Lee Awefford; 2073, Caseberry Lane; Omaha Texas. I'm 19 years old, I go to Omaha Junior College, my phone number's." her voice trailed off.  
  
"Does not compute, you must be lying. There is no region by that name here." He stated, his voice was showing a lack of patience.  
  
"That means," she said and then paused.  
  
"I don't exist."  
  
****************** Another cliff! But it leaves it interesting, right?! Man I love writing! And I hope you love reading! Keep those fanfic reviews coming! I wanna know if I'm being to vague=^.0=. Thank you to all my fans, you're what makes this worth while! 


	3. Utter lunacy

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. No one would watch it anymore. But I do get a kick out of placing my odd stories up on the internet. So, enjoy. ----- Television references. "" talking '' thinking ** Telepathy (chapter breaks too 0.o)  
  
********Chapter Three*********  
  
Subconsciously she grabbed her injured side. I didn't take long for her to feel a hot, sticky substance through her shirt and in between her fingers. The scrape caused by being thrown was beginning to bleed. The breeze picked up and her large shirt waved in its gust. And as she stood there; hair blown out of place, covered in dust and dirt, bleeding and emotionally stunned, she felt as if her words were carried away by that whistling wind.  
  
"Utterly preposterous. However, your existence is of no consequence to us." The old android stated.  
  
His cold metallic eyes reflected only malice towards the new comer. Without waiting for a response he continued.  
  
"Go stand with the other insignificant organisms and await your demise as they do." He said as he crossed his arms and took a side-step to let her pass.  
  
Her eyes were cast down, but as she passed him she glanced back at him through the corner of her eye.  
  
'That's what you think.' She thought, knowing what fate he had in the coarse of the future.  
  
Her eyes shifted back to the ground and came to a sudden halt when she came upon a pair of recognizable, brown, slip-on shoes. Her eyes then led her up the pants of a familiar purple gi, and her neck arched incredibly as she finally was able to look up to the Namekian warrior. Her electric blue eyes went wide and her mouth went slack. Piccolo's gaze met her own and a large sweat-drop formed as he narrowed his eyes at her in an irritated and confused way.  
  
'Wonder if I'm able to do that too?' she wondered about the typical sweat- drop.  
  
She knew she was making him uncomfortable, but she couldn't help but to stare.  
  
"What?!" he asked, finally unnerved by the girls wide-eyed stare.  
  
His bass-filled voice echoed in her ears and vibrated through her bones.  
  
His tone wasn't threatening, just extremely agitated and creeped out.  
  
"It's just that," she said, pausing so she could choose her words carefully.  
  
"you're so tall." She managed to get out, a faint flush appeared on her cheeks.  
  
'That was impressive, now he knows you're a complete doofus.' She thought regretting her last statement.  
  
An anime fall came from The Tall One.  
  
She blinked nervously at the warrior, realizing she too could get a sweat- drop; it was almost involuntary. Krillan took this time to walk slowly over to her. She turned her gaze to him and noticed he was approaching her with a certain level of caution.  
  
'That's a laugh and a half, baldy's afraid of me? Doesn't he know that I'm weaker then even his is?!' she thought with sad irony.  
  
"Are you," he said pausing; his tone serous and his voice low.  
  
"okay?" he finally finished.  
  
His question threw her off guard a bit. Ever since she arrived she had been bombarded with questions of her existence, purpose and intentions, she didn't know how to react with words of concern. Especially coming from the comic relief. She looked down. A blush of shame filled the bridge of her nose and cheeks. This reaction caused Krillan to go lax with slight bewilderment. She then nodded slightly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'll be okay." She said quietly.  
  
Questions of her sudden appearance left Krillan's mind as his attention was drawn back to Vegeta's acts of insensitivity towards her.  
  
"That jerk Vegeta! I swear! He'll get his one day, mark my words!" he said through gritted teeth and fist shaking in the Saiyan Prince's direction.  
  
Cassie only blinked at this action of long distance rebellion.  
  
'He didn't say that very loud.' She thought with a smile of amusement.  
  
Krillan saw this and gave a smile back. His hand went behind his head and then he laughed nervously, his cheeks flashed slightly red. A curious young Gohan made his way to Krillan's side. He had a look of child-like inquisition, confusion and slight hurt at Krillan's light-heartedness at the time of his father's distress.  
  
"What's going on Krillan?" Gohan asked, and as it does in the series, his voice gave away very clearly what his emotions were.  
  
Cassie found herself gawking at Gohan. He looked much more majestic in person.  
  
'He's so cute, yet he's so cool looking too,' the thought brought about yet another blush.  
  
'Much cooler then that "Great Saiyaman".' She thought as her cheeks went shamefully bright.  
  
'That's just wrong.' She added silently in the back of her mind.  
  
Krillan's face went serious.  
  
"It's nothin'. How's Goku doin'?" he asked.  
  
Before anything else could be said, Goku's body suddenly went sailing by them. His body was then gracefully caught by Piccolo's right hand by grabbing onto the back of Goku's gi. Cassie noticed that the small crowd that was barely beginning to gather around her shifted swiftly to Goku's unmoving side.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
"Goku!"  
  
"He needs the antidote, and he needs it now!" Piccolo's voice was stern but urgency also dwelled greatly there.  
  
"I'll take him!" Gohan said quickly.  
  
Not even a glance went towards the new child who seemed to appear from nothingness.  
  
"No Gohan, I'll take him." Yamcha said and without waiting for a reply, reached down and picked up Goku's massive and limp body and tossed him onto his shoulder.  
  
Gohan looked reluctant and determined.  
  
"Then I'm going with you." He stated.  
  
"No Gohan, you stay here. They need you. Sad to say, I'll only get in the way." He said and Gohan only nodded once in confirmation.  
  
Yamcha's smiling face couldn't hide the sorrow he felt for his own inability to help. It made his smile almost apologetic.  
  
"Take the girl with you." Piccolo commanded.  
  
Yamcha gave him a confused glance before glancing over to the tattered girl that now stood away from the crowd. She looked from Yamcha to the verbal battle that now commenced between Vegeta and the heavy-set Android 19. She knew she had no choice in the matter; that she'd have to leave the battle field before she could see Vegeta go Super-Saiyan. Her expression showed that of disappointment.  
  
'Vegeta going Super-Saiyan, that was really awesome on TV, I wonder.' She thought about it for a second.  
  
'No, I'd probably die of fright. Just seeing him in his normal form made me think that my time was well up.' She thought with slight anxiety, not realizing Yamcha had approached her.  
  
"Well, I guess we'd better get goin' before the sparks really start flying." His voice tried to sound macho and that of authority, but his shyness for this strange and beautiful newcomer was more then apparent.  
  
She looked back to him, realizing how close he was. She was eye-level with his chest and his chest was only a half a foot away from her nose. Up close his physique was impressively toned and built.  
  
'Man he looks good, too bad he's such a dork.' She thought to herself.  
  
To him, when she looked up to him, she seemed like that of a stranded child coming in counter with that of greatness. His head went light with the prospects. She watched as a slight blush formed and could feel his ego soaring to unimaginably incredible heights. It made her eye want to twitch. He then bent down, his closeness to her was almost unbearable. He was studying her injured side.  
  
"You know, if you wrap your arms around my neck, I can wrap my arm around the back of your legs (for support of course) and we can fly without me having to worry about touching your injury." He said, his voice rising an note or two.  
  
'I'd much rather hang on to your ankles for your information.' She thought to herself, her stomach tightening.  
  
She remained silent as she then reached around his neck. When he stood up strait, her feet left the ground. He then shifted Goku slightly and then wrapped his free arm around the back of her legs, just above her butt. Her face grew hot.  
  
'I'd love to kick you in the crotch, if I could.' She thought with much embarrassment and slight anger.  
  
'Not like you'd feel it anyways.' She thought again.  
  
He nodded to the others a fair well before taking off at neck-breaking speeds into the air and on to the Son's house. She latched on as hard as she could, her face buried into his chest.  
  
'What's that smell?!' she thought as she couldn't help but breath in something slightly musty on his torn gi.  
  
It took her a while to realized she was touching, not cloth, but flesh. But it didn't matter now.  
  
"Don't worry, I gotcha." He said almost amusingly.  
  
'That's what's got me worried in the first place!' she thought as air sickness began to kick into effect and she was finding it harder to breath.  
  
Her ears popped and she began to shiver from the cold draft coming from the height of their altitude. He leaned his chin towards her in an attempt to shield to her from the wind and he pulled her closer to him. Her eyes shot open wide as his massive arm held her closer. Fear and extreme uneasiness clung to her as her stomach had dropped long before they had left the ground. She was becoming dizzy and lightheaded amongst all else.  
  
'Please God! MAKE IT STOP!!!' her mind screamed.  
  
***********************  
  
So, how was that? Gosh I love doing these fanfics. They make me feel so completely free. You know that feeling? Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I've just began doing chapter four so it should be posted pretty soon. Well, can't wait to get some more reviews to see what I need to change, or if I need to change at all. I love hearing from you guys. Well, Ja Ne Always! Usarea. 


	4. Sorrow at the Son's

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. No one would watch it anymore. But I do get a kick out of placing my odd stories up on the internet. So, enjoy. ----- Television references. "" talking '' thinking ** Telepathy (chapter breaks too 0.o)  
  
!!!!ASSURANCE ALERT!!!! THIS IS NOT A YAMCHA ROMANCE SCENE!!! =.= (Well, at least not from the girl. Yamcha, on the other hand. he's on his own!)  
  
********Chapter Four************  
  
Landing was perpetual madness. Cassie felt her heart catch in her throat as they hit the ground from about a three mile free fall out of the air. Her eyes were wide and twitching and she clung on to Yamcha with all of the strength she could muster. Yamcha leaned forward so that her feet touched the ground. She used the remainder of her strength to unclench her sore, aching, embrace from around Yamcha's neck. The moment she did this, however, she fell to her knees. It took her several minutes to realize that she was taking in short, rapid and hollow breaths; that beads of sweat rolled down her face; and that she was trembling slightly all over.  
  
"Oh common, my fling's not all that bad!" he said trying to joke, but his uneasiness was quite apparent.  
  
'If you don't shut-up, I'm gonna hurl all over you!' she thought, waiting for the light-headedness to leave.  
  
"At least I don't think so." Yamcha muttered to himself as he looked down at Goku.  
  
Suddenly the door to the Son's house swung open with a loud bang. Goku Son's wife, Chi-Chi came running out.  
  
"Yamcha! What happened to my Goku?!! TELL ME!!" she was yelling as she ran to them.  
  
Yamcha leaned down a bit and touched Cassie's shoulder.  
  
"Listen, I'll be back in a minute. Can you hold on till then?" he asked.  
  
The swallowed several time, contemplating on wither she should attempt speech or not. Eventually she just nodded her head several times without looking up. Chi-Chi continued bombarding Yamcha with questions. Questions about Goku; about why he didn't help and questions about who the girl outside was. Several seconds latter it sounded as if the house was being torn apart from the inside, out. They were frantically searching for the antidote for Goku. Goku's cries and groans fell silent to the girl, because she was lost in her own thoughts. The girl finally looked up and around her. There was the Son's house, just like in the show, but, real this time. The sun was warm and bright, the birds sang and a slight breeze caused the lush trees and grass to sway lazily. Wispy clouds passed over head as she watched them pass. She continued to have her head held to the sky, breathing in the sweet fragrance of nature and drying laundry. She was still watching the sky thirty minutes later when the commotion from the house had died down and Yamcha finally stepped back out. She hadn't noticed him until he was right in front of her once again, looking down at her, obstructing her view of the sky. She blinked several times.  
  
"Here, let's get you into the house." He offered as he grasped her shoulders and easily brought her to her feet.  
  
She felt steadier this time. She felt dazed; the warmth of the sun had made her want to go to sleep. They walked into the doorway and then came to a sudden stop when Chi-Chi stormed towards them. Heatedly she evaluated the girl, looking her over and evaluating. Both the girl and Yamcha stood in utter terror as this ominous presence stood too close for comfort.  
  
"You look about my size." She muttered to herself.  
  
"Yamcha, you take the girl to Gohan's bedroom, I'll be there in a minute." She said, her voice not revealing any kind of comfort then turned to march off.  
  
Yamcha and the girl could only stand still, mouths gaping slightly in wonder. Chi-Chi seemed to sense that they weren't responding and turned sharply around.  
  
"Are you DEAF Yamcha?! I said take her to Gohan's room, NOW!" she said sharply and with much malice.  
  
Yamcha jumped and then grabbed onto Cassie's shoulders.  
  
"Yeah Chi-Chi! Loud-n-clear!" he said, a forced smile on his face covering the obvious fear residing within.  
  
He then led the girl to Gohan's room. He stopped in the door way, but she continued over to the bed and sat down. She then looked around Gohan's quaint little room and felt the joy and dedication that filled it. Yamcha stood in the door way nervously glancing around the room at nothing in particular. Chi-Chi stomped into the room with an arm load of cloths, bandages, antiseptics, antibacterial ointments, etc. A confused look came over his face before she suddenly thrust it into his arms from hers. A bewildered look washed over his features.  
  
"Uh, what this for Chi-Chi, you want me to hold it for you or something?" he asked uncertainly.  
  
"Can you be so dense Yamcha?! It's for you to help the girl!" she yelled in disbelief.  
  
"ME??!! Why ME?!!" he said, panic-stricken.  
  
"DUH! That should be pretty obvious! I've got a sick husband to attend to!" she said and without waiting for a reply she walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.  
  
All the while she was muttering about how incredibly thick-headed Goku's muscle-bound, slacker friends were.  
  
Yamcha stood looking down at the clothing, his eyes wide and his face reddened. He then looked up to the girl who sat on the bed of his best friend's son. The girl looked generally disturbed at the chain of events.  
  
'This isn't happening. This isn't happening.' She kept thinking to herself.  
  
Yamcha then swallowed loudly and walked stiff-legged, knees out over to her. His eyes still wide, but the frightened frown had been replaced with an extremely large, fake smile. His face all the while red.  
  
'This has got to be a nightmare! A ridiculous, ludicrous nightmare brought on by staying up to late! That's it!' the girl thought, not believing that this egotistical moron was actually approaching her in any kind of terms that would help.  
  
"Well, where should we begin?" he asked through his clinched teeth, his voice rising and lowering pitch quickly.  
  
'Reminds me of when he was afraid of girls.' She thought as she sat there with her fists clinched in lap, her face reddening, and a deep frown on her face.  
  
'Don't let him touch me.' She thought; something similar to the air sickness was setting in.  
  
"Um," he said relaxing only a smudge when he realized she was just as bad off as he was.  
  
"You know the sooner we get this over with, the better off you'll feel." He said, his voice still not calm enough to be considered casual.  
  
The girl then stood. Yamcha watched in wonder as the girl crawled into the covers of Gohan's bed, sat up with the covers waist high and then brought up her shirt just enough that Yamcha would be able to clean it and dress it without seeing anything. Her face was blazing at this point and she looked on the verge of tears. Yamcha's body went lax some in astonishment to the resent developments. He then walked closer to her and sat on the bed next to her. She stared out the window as he worked.  
  
Chi-Chi was in the next room with Goku when she heard the girl and Yamcha.  
  
"OOOWWW! That REALLY HURTS!!" she cried.  
  
"Hold still!"  
  
"OOOWWWW!"  
  
"Will you stop squirming?!"  
  
"I will when you stop hurting me!"  
  
"I didn't mean to!"  
  
"OOOOOOOWWWWW!"  
  
"SOOOORRRRRYYYYY!"  
  
"Stop torturing that poor girl Yamcha! I swear, if I have to come in there, so help me!" Chi-Chi finally screamed at the closed door.  
  
Yamcha then came out of the door panting as he shut the door behind him.  
  
"It was wise of you to let her dress herself, otherwise she would've known you were a pervert Yamcha." Chi-Chi said in an evil tone that she tried to make sound nonchalant.  
  
His eyebrows flattened; a frown appeared.  
  
"Is that so?" he replied.  
  
She didn't answer. She seemed to keep herself occupied with mopping Goku's sweaty forehead with a damp cloth.  
  
Cassie dressed herself in Chi-Chi's old sparing outfit from when she was in the World Martial Art's Tournament with Goku, just before she suckered him into marring him. A yellow gi with a top that had spits up the sides of the waist. She then slipped on the dainty shoes and then walked to the full length mirror on the other side of the room. She stood gazing at herself for the first time in her anime form. Instead of being lanky, like she was considered in the "real" world, she was totally anime. Long, slender form, slightly smaller then Chi-Chi, built more like Android 18. Shinny, light- brown hair that looked almost identical to 18's hair style and her electric blue eyes seemed to almost resonate with the amount of energy found there, they were so brilliantly blue! Her complexion almost seemed flawless and her skin was evenly toned as well. She twirled in front of the mirror, looking so much like a DBZ character that she just wanted to cry out with joy.  
  
'No wonder Yamcha was acting like such a dork!!!' she thought happily.  
  
She suddenly felt like she had a new wave of confidence. She then walked to the door and opened it. Both Chi-Chi and Yamcha seemed to look at the girl with some measure of amazement.  
  
"You sure do look nice." Chi-Chi said, only partially sounding pleasant before returning to the aiding of her sickened husband.  
  
Yamcha smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah, you sure do." He said, his eyes reverting to back to Goku.  
  
The girl took a deep breath before walking a little closer to where Goku lay.  
  
"Don't worry Chi-Chi, I know Goku will be okay." She said, keeping her eyes on the handsome (and totally not-single) Saiyan, Goku.  
  
'He's my favorite character out of the whole series, and I don't even get to talk to him! This sucks!' she thought wearily as she studied him.  
  
'Man, I hated seeing him this way on T.V., I hate it even more in real life!'  
  
(One of the main reasons she couldn't watch The History of Trunks more the once. she hates movies that make her cry.)  
  
"I've been wondering something," Chi-Chi started on one of her interrogations, but Yamcha quickly intervened.  
  
"What she's gonna ask is, How do you know Goku? And Chi-Chi? And Vegeta? Are you one of the Androids or something?" Yamcha asked with slight suspicion in his voice.  
  
'Oh shot! I'm toast!' she thought as the question had caught her off guard and totally unprepared.  
  
She smiled the best she could and couldn't help but to laugh nervously as she searched for a good lie.  
  
'Think Cassie! THINK!' she yelled to herself.  
  
"Well, that's a good question, you see, I'm" she said pausing before saying the first thing that popped in her mind.  
  
"My mom was a friend of Goku's when he was a little kid!" she blurted.  
  
Confused glances were passed between Yamcha and Chi-Chi. Looks of uncertainty. Looks of distrust.  
  
"A friend of Goku's huh?! Well then, how do you know about me? Huh?!" Chi- Chi then demanded.  
  
True terror filled the girls being.  
  
"My mom says that Goku used to talk about you constantly as a kid. Talking about how he met your dad, the Ox King, on Fire Mountain and how he found you while you were on your journey to find the Bancho Fan to put out the eternal flame on Fire Mountain so you could get back to your castle." When she was finished she was out of breath and then waited for a response.  
  
Her nerves were shot. Chi-Chi would surely kill her if there was even the slightest doubt. She then swallowed loudly. Chi-Chi then suddenly stood.  
  
"I KNEW IT!" she cried triumphantly.  
  
The girl's heart stopped and she was about to bolt out of the room.  
  
"He's loved me since the beginning! Oh Goku!" she said twirling around like a love-struck teenager, her eyes wide and sparkles dancing around her form with translucent rose petals drifting lazily behind her.  
  
Both Yamcha and the girl only blinked, a look of disbelief on both their faces and huge sweat-drops behind their heads. An anime fall came from Cassie and Yamcha alike. Chi-Chi then swept the girl up into her little fantasy world.  
  
"Well! Why didn't you say you were a friend of Goku's?!" she said happily as she sat the girl down in a chair.  
  
Cassie was still in a daze when Chi-Chi sat leaned down in front of her and pulled up a chair so she could sit across from her.  
  
"Now, that explains me and Goku, and maybe how you know about Yamcha and the rest, but how about Vegeta?" she asked, her tone light, but still not void of suspicion.  
  
"Well, he was all over the news when he first arrived on Earth to take it over. I heard his name was Vegeta when a camera man got close enough to hear the conversation between him and the big, bald guy that was with him. I knew that Nappa guy was killed, but I thought Vegeta died too." She said, the lies coming a little easier.  
  
Chi-Chi sat back some.  
  
"Oh, well, yes, it was quite unfortunate that Goku let him go. I don't have any clue what possessed him to do such a foolish and careless thing like that." Chi-Chi said, her voice filled with concern now that her attention was diverted back to her husband.  
  
"I just know Goku's going to pull through." The girl said with absolute confidence.  
  
This didn't bring suspicion into Chi-Chi's features, as she feared might happen, but a small smile and an almost soft look to the girl came.  
  
"Me too," she said and then looked back at Goku, giving one final wipe of the cloth.  
  
"me too." She said quieter, as if to herself.  
  
The girl felt a sadness in the room as she looked to Goku.  
  
'Why am I sad? I KNOW Goku's going to be okay. So why be sad?' she thought to herself.  
  
'Is it because she's sad?' she thought again.  
  
'No, it's because I have no idea what kind of changes will happen just because I'm here! That's why!'  
  
****************** Well?! How was that??! Gosh, I am sooo sorry I keep leaving you hanging like that, but I've got a duty to uphold the DBZ tradition!! But, you know, if you guys don't like it, I can change it, the only reason I write, it because I write for you, the readers.=^.^=, Well, keep those reviews comin'! And I'll keep working on more chapters. Still, I want to apologize for this one being so late. You know how it is with school and work and friends-n-stuff, well got to go! See you guys next chapter! JA NE ALWAYS! Usarea 


	5. Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. No one would watch it anymore. But I do get a kick out of placing my odd stories up on the internet. So, enjoy. ----- Television references. "" talking '' thinking ** Telepathy (chapter breaks too 0.o)  
  
Darn it!! I may have caught some of you guys too LATE!!! This isn't a romance; it's a humor/drama! Well, there might be some romance, but that's much later on I assure you, there'll be more comedy and drama then romance!!=^.0=  
  
*********Chapter Five**********  
  
'What kind of effect could I possibly have on the future?' she tried to assure her doubts, but they were like a plague upon her mind, eating its way to the very core of her being.  
  
Chi-Chi had left Goku to use the bathroom. While she was gone, Goku went into another seizure. Yamcha hurried Cassie to the writhing Saiyan's side.  
  
"Watch him! I'm going to get some more of the antidote, try to keep him calm!" he said in a panic as he rummaged through the cluttered tables for the medicine.  
  
She stood dumbfound in the presence of her greatest hero. She shook slightly as she felt her fingers go numb and she began to perspire. A cold sweat-mist began to lightly appear. Goku was grabbing at his chest as if to try and tear away the pain. His eyes were closed tight and his teeth were clenched. Her eyes wondered away for only a second. Her breathing shallow and fear had her in its grasp.  
  
'What do I do.?' She thought as her eyes fell on the small turned over bottle of medicine.  
  
Without thinking she reached down and picked up the bottle; almost mechanically. She unscrewed the lid and spilled a pill out into her palm. She then put the lid back on and grasped the small purple pill (the one that Goku supposed was grape flavored) between her index and thumb. Yamcha looked back in time to see the girl dampen Goku's forehead, calming him a bit and whisper to him. He then allowed her to give him the medicine, minutes later he was calm again. Yet she continued to sit with him, next to his side, damping his forehead and freeing his face sweat-beads as the formed. She sat in almost a daze as she cared for Earth's most valiant fighter.  
  
'I touched him,' she thought.  
  
'I can't believe I touched Goku,'  
  
Her thoughts wondered back on what she did: Her hand moving all but steadily towards Goku's forehead with the dampened cloth, whispering frantically for Goku to trust her and take the medicine so that he could live; telling him how much everyone needed him and loved him. She thought of how he calmed some. She knew he is so much pain, yet, he was able to subdue it long enough to take the medicine. She remembered her fingers touching his lips; he was so trusting. She then sat and waited. Chi-Chi watched her from the kitchen. As soon as she came back from the bathroom she found Cassie attending to Goku. She found this opportunity to get house work done; however, she never let Goku and the new girl out of sight. She stood in the kitchen with Yamcha cooking and cleaning madly in a frenzy of worry and stress. She saw Yamcha watching them.  
  
"I don't know if I should trust that girl around Goku, I mean just look at her." Chi-Chi said, pointing out the small smile on the girl's pretty face and the small blush on her cheeks.  
  
"Aw, common Chi-Chi, she's a good kid." Yamcha said with sincerity.  
  
He then rubbed his cheek slightly.  
  
"And she's stronger then she looks." He absently added.  
  
"What? She hit you?" she said with a mixture of amusement and that of someone evolved in a scandal.  
  
He blushed and looked down as he used his index finger to scratch the side of his face.  
  
"Yeah, I'm not sure what I did exactly, but she clobbered me good." He said and then looked up to where Cassie was sitting with Goku.  
  
"It's funny, cause right afterwards she looked like she was going to cry and she kept apologizing over and over again." He said smiling more.  
  
Chi-Chi only looked to the girl, a look of wonder on her face.  
  
Cassie continued to sit with Goku for hours, thinking of home; of the wide open spaces of her house on the ranch (the pitiful excuse of a ranch). They had one old mare (she was older then even Cassie's mother), they had a bunch of sorry looking chickens, some peacocks (albinos, mostly), the one cow they had died of pneumonia, a large sum of scrawny hunting dogs crammed into small, smelly, and all around nasty cages, a scraggly rooster and a group of malnutrition goats. The only decent animals they had was the two cats and they basically belonged to her. There was a small black female (Sazuka) and her large, silver, tomcat-for-a-son (Shengi). She thought of her friends.  
  
*****Flashback******  
  
Her and her friends sat around the large screen television as they played Budokai for the Playstation 2. They laughed happily as they showed new combos to each other and made up jokes about the characters (especially Krillan). A couple of the characters had flaws in the game, like the way Piccolo looked at the screen after he won, his mouth refusing to close, a dumbfounded look on his face and his antennae rotating around madly (one faster then the other). Cassie's closest friend had to laugh hysterically at that because it was her that had a crush on Piccolo. Cassie's second closest friend had a thing for Trunks. It was Cassie who had a mild to moderate crush on Vegeta and looked up to Goku as a hero and role model. It wasn't till recently that she had even thought about Goku in any other way. Budokai made her think differently, or, to be more specific, Goku in his alternate costume made her think differently.  
  
They would watch the characters they loved in alternate costumes and gawk and giggle, making comments about what they would do if they could. Occasionally they would go to the television screen and rub the character's bicep or thigh with their index finger and then pretend to swoon and faint. She had told her friends that if she could touch Vegeta or Goku she'd look like one of those crazy chicks on a boy-band tour grabbing at the girly- boys on stage.  
  
******Flashback Ends********  
  
'That's not exactly what happened, was it?' she thought back on how Vegeta had grabbed her and how terrified she was.  
  
And then she thought of Goku and how numb she was when she gave him the medicine.  
  
'Nope, it was nothing like I thought it'd be.' She thought.  
  
She saw Goku fighting in his dreams, she knew what he was dreaming about and she wished she could help.  
  
"Hang in there Goku." was all she managed to say the entire time.  
  
It wasn't long before Krillan came and hurried them into Bulma's cargo ship. Goku lay on a mattress in the middle of the cargo bay area. Compulsively, Cassie found a far end corner to crouch in. Hugging her knees to her chest and feeling confident that Goku was going to survive from this point on.  
  
'Well, everything's the same so far," she thought to herself as she watched Chi-Chi take over the job of watching over Goku.  
  
****Flashback****  
  
"It's all well and good that you've helped Goku out, but I think I should take over from here on out." Chi-Chi insisted before the departure.  
  
*****End Flashback*****  
  
Cassie hardly noticed that Krillan was staring at her. Suspicion hadn't left his features just yet. He was close to the short-haired Trunks. Trunks hadn't taken notice to her existence. Krillan scooted in closer to Trunks. Trunks watched in bewilderment as Krillan leaned in closer to Trunks and then whispered to him behind the back of his hand.  
  
"Psst. Hey Trunks." He asked.  
  
"Yeah?" Trunks replied, trying to keep the same volume.  
  
"See that girl over there?" he asked, gesturing slightly over to Cassie with his head.  
  
Trunks looked over in the general direction to see the girl in the yellow gi.  
  
"Yeah? Who is she?" he asked.  
  
Krillan let out a small sigh.  
  
"Well, if you don't know who she is, then I guess that means she's not an android." He said with relief.  
  
Trunks then narrowed his eyes at the girl.  
  
"What made you think she was an android?" he asked suspiciously, his voice becoming serious and flat.  
  
Krillan leaned in even closer.  
  
"She seemed to know who we all were, and if that's not something odd, I don't know what is." He said looking at the girl; trying to imitate Trunks' look of growing concern for the new-comer.  
  
"For your information, Krillan, she just happens to be the daughter of one of Goku's past friends! So quit being so paranoid!" Chi-Chi said loudly to Krillan.  
  
Both Krillan and Trunks jumped. They then saw Cassie's attention come their way.  
  
"That so, huh? I just happen to have known Goku for a long time, so I should know who your mother is." Krillan challenged the girl.  
  
The girl was silent for a moment. It looked as if Trunks was ready to attack if need be.  
  
'Think Cassie! Think!'  
  
She then looked up as if to think about it.  
  
"Let's see, she said she had short hair and large glasses. My uncles are cherubs and my youngest uncle is a genius. My mother was a faster runner then Goku at the time, but she was too dense to know any better, my grandfather told me this. I think she still is. Goku was looking for the four-star Dragonball when he came to our cottage. He talked a lot about Chi- Chi, his master Roshi, and his best friend and rival, Krillan." She said, trying to summarize all that she could without actually remembering their names.  
  
'Wonder if they'll fall for it?' she wondered as she was unable to look at them, she kept staring at the ceiling until she was done and then she forced herself to look at them.  
  
The fake smile was beginning to hurt and twitch mildly from the pressure. Krillan suddenly smiled and laughed happily.  
  
"See? I knew it! I was Goku's first rival!" he said happily.  
  
Trunks was only able to blink at Krillan, but when his eyes reverted back to Cassie, his thoughts were clear.  
  
'Any of the Red Ribbon Army could know that kind of information, I just want you to know that I'm watching you and you'll have to make a mistake sometime, and when you do, I'll be there, ready,' the look seemed to say.  
  
His gaze made her uncomfortable.  
  
******Flashback*******  
  
"Why don't you like Trunks? He's just so awesome looking and he looks so good." Her Trunks obsessed friend had asked.  
  
Cassie had shrugged.  
  
"I guess it's because I think he's a dip, like Yamcha. When he first came into the series he was awesome, but then he got his butt kicked one too many times and I just lost interest." She said looking at a picture of Vegeta with Bulma.  
  
"What about Piccolo?" her Piccolo obsessed friend asked.  
  
"I'm not going there!" she replied with a laugh.  
  
******End Flashback*****  
  
'I liked Vegeta because he was awesome, especially when he was a bad guy (bad man-snicker, snicker). But he was just EVIL.' She thought with a sigh as she placed her head down.  
  
She zoned out as Chi-Chi gave her loud cry of despair and stated that Gohan needed to study. Chi-Chi tried to keep her son occupied with his studies as Gohan tried to talk with Trunks about time-lines. Cassie vaguely heard.  
  
'Nothing has changed; I guess everything will be alright.' She thought, but some where, deep in her heart, she knew differently.  
  
'Pretty soon, the call will come in; the call from Bulma.' She thought as she sat back, ready for a long drive.  
  
Several seconds passed before the phone began to ring.  
  
'And then we find out about the presence of Cell.'  
  
**************** HOW was THAT??! Well, I tell you, I guess it kinda looks pretty good from here. I haven't gotten any fan reviews so I guess no one's reading any more. Darn! I was hoping that you guys could give me some insight on what I should do next! I need to know if there are any problems with the way I'm writing and so forth, you know? Well, thankx to all my loyal fans! Ja Ne Always! Usarea! 


	6. New Friends

Disclaimer: I really don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. Even though it's a vast enterprise and I could have oodles and oodles of mullah, I think people would appreciate it as much as they do now. (Although, mine wouldn't be so drawn out.) But I love making up stories and characters to change and reform my favorite shows to my dreams.  
  
------= Television references ""= Talking ''=Thinking **=Telepathy (and Chapter brakes =o.O=)  
  
Sorry for being so late with the next chapter. I hadn't gotten any reviews in on it in so long, I didn't think anyone was reading it, so me, being the sensitive gal that I am, thought no one like it. =v.v=. But I got a review the other day!!! =^.^= and figured even if there was only one reader it was well worth it! Thank you so very much! I will continue due to your words of encouragement. Enjoy! =^.^=  
  
**********Chapter Six***********  
  
"Trunks!" Bulma's voice carried over the intercom and resonated throughout the cargo area.  
  
It made everyone including Cassie, who thought she was well prepared for it, jump. As Cassie watched Goku sleep, she kept her ears trained to the conversation between Bulma and her would-be son. The dialog seemed to be exactly the same as though she were still only watching the show and wasn't really stuck in this fictional fabrication. Trunks then made his way towards the cockpit's door. Gohan watched attentively as Trunks told his mother that he was going to take a look at the craft that resembled his.  
  
"Wait! I'll come too!" Gohan said standing abruptly.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Chi-Chi called after him.  
  
"Aw, come on mom, we just going to take a look, we'll back soon, I promise!" Gohan pleaded.  
  
"I don't know." Chi-Chi said reluctantly as she studied her son from head to toe.  
  
Gohan smiled innocently and waved his hands in front of himself quickly as though he could wave away her worries.  
  
"We'll be right back, it shouldn't take long." Trunks added in with his most sincere of faces.  
  
"Well, I guess so, but you hurry right back here young man. You've got a lot of studying to do, you know!" Chi-Chi said with some uncertainty.  
  
"Alright!" Gohan said happily as he ran to Trunks' side.  
  
Cassie had went back to watching Goku sleep when she got this strange feeling that she was being carefully watched. The feeling made her uneasy, so much in fact that she couldn't seem to make herself turn to see if it was even true. There was something indefinable happening and she could feel the tension mounting. However, before she was able to build up enough courage to turn and see who it was, her fear was confirmed.  
  
"Hey girl!" Trunks' voice echoed to her.  
  
A shock went down her spine.  
  
'Okay, I really thought he was a chump, but that was before I got stuck in his world and knew how much I really suck here.' Cassie thought as she tried to stop her heart from leaping out of her throat.  
  
Cassie swallowed hard but she froze. As she reluctantly turned around, it appeared as though a humanoid statue was being turned, she was so ridged. She was even more reluctant to meet his gaze. Some thought or idea was almost visible behind those vivid blue eyes. She swallowed once again, this time it was harder then the first.  
  
'Do I want to know what's going on in that head of his?' she thought.  
  
"Um, Trunks" Krillan spoke up, almost to conceal his call as though he was trying to clear his throat.  
  
Trunks turned a puzzled glance at Krillan.  
  
"Hum?" he asked patiently enough.  
  
"Her name's Cassie, Trunks." Krillan stated casually.  
  
Trunks only blinked several times at this, as if he were trying to take in and comprehend the significance of the information that was just given to him. He then turned his attention back to Cassie, the original look back on his features.  
  
"Cassie," Trunks said to her, though not quite as intensely as he did when he first called her.  
  
Cassie found herself, once again, having to swallow her racing heart.  
  
"Um, yes?" she managed to speak plainly enough, brownie point for her, although she barely managed to refrain herself from using the word 'sir' behind it.  
  
"Why don't you come with us?" he said, intending it to sound innocent enough.  
  
Cassie's heart managed to skip a beat. Her face grew hot and she quickly found herself staring down at her hands, as they were clasped in her lap. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she had to swallow several times before she could find her voice again.  
  
"I can't." she finally managed.  
  
"Huh?" Gohan asked with surprise.  
  
"What do you mean? Why can't you?" Trunks asked her, his voice hiding the smallest but most apparent of accusations.  
  
Cassie then nervously tapped the tips of her two index fingers together, the blush on her cheeks becoming ever more apparent.  
  
'Way too much attention, way too much attention. I liked it better when everyone just ignored me.' Her embarrassment beginning to become unbearable.  
  
"I," she began, but stammered and her voice shook, "I can't fly." She managed to clear her throat and speak more clearly, but was still just a little above a whisper.  
  
It seemed to throw Trunks off of his train of thought. A surprised and slightly uncertain look played over his features.  
  
"You mean to tell me, that you can't fly. As in the ability itself just isn't there?" Trunks asked with disbelief.  
  
Cassie frowned and nodded. Her eyes waved a bit as though she was going to cry from embarrassment and her body tensioned as though she expected to be hit. Trunks then slapped himself in the forehead and then sudden out burst of laughter from him almost made Cassie fall over. It wasn't chastising laughter, it was laughter almost saturated with relief. Cassie blinked several times at him as he suddenly came to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to almost jump out of her skin.  
  
"I am so sorry about that, it's just that," he said to her, he was laughing so hard she could see tears brimming his eyes.  
  
'With him this close, he's actually, kinda,' Cassie thought and her face grew red-hot.  
  
Trunks seemed to realize that he was a bit too close for comfort, took a deep breath and let out a small chuckle.  
  
"It's just that, I was worried you might me an android." He said, his voice calming a bit and he leaded back from her, as though to give her more space.  
  
"Oh." Was all she managed to say.  
  
He then stood and turned back towards the door.  
  
"Common Gohan, we'd better get going." He said before leaving.  
  
Gohan looked from him to Cassie, back to him.  
  
"Okay." Gohan finally said and then ran to him and followed him out the door.  
  
The wind blasted in and then quickly died, leaving Cassie feeling just as flustered at her hair was.  
  
"Don't mind them dear, boys will be boys and all." Chi-Chi said off- handedly to Cassie.  
  
Cassie thought about it for a second before someone interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Hey Cassie! Why don't you come sit over here?" Krillan asked, smiling friendly and motioning her over.  
  
Cassie blinked several times then slowly stood, as though her mind went to automatic and was willing to do the bidding of anyone who could give her a command while her mind was away. She walked over to Krillan and then slowly slumped down beside him.  
  
"So, if you can't fly, then how'd you appear on Goku? I mean, you could've fell out of the sky, but it was like you appeared out of no where." Krillan whispered to her.  
  
Cassie then brought her knees to her chest and then wrapped her arms around them.  
  
"I, really don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet." Cassie whispered back, her eyes filled with sadness and focusing on something unseen.  
  
"Oh." Krillan said and then looked down.  
  
During this time Chi-Chi was watching them off and on.  
  
"Krillan, you better not be saying anything perverted to her over there!" Chi-Chi suddenly cried from across the cargo area.  
  
This gained her two shocked looks, as they gazed from one another back to her. Both Krillan and Cassie waved her off.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no! I haven't said, I mean, that is, I didn't say anything like that!" Krillan called to her, Cassie steadily shaking her head to emphasis his point further.  
  
Chi-Chi only frowned at this.  
  
"Humph, you better not." She mumbled and turned her attention back to Goku.  
  
Krillan let out a sigh and then seemed to lean back a bit to get more relaxed. Cassie seemed a bit more relaxed as well as she let out a sigh she didn't know she'd been holding.  
  
"You know, whenever you feel up to it, I just want you to know," Krillan started saying to Cassie, his eyes cast down to his feet, a small blush forming.  
  
Cassie looked back at Krillan in wonder. Krillan then looked up at her, his mouth gapping slightly.  
  
"I just want you to know that I'm here, if you want to talk about it. I mean, I'm here to listen if you need an ear." Krillan said looking back down again and rubbing the back of his head.  
  
Cassie only blinked a second before realizing he was offering her friendship. Cassie then looked down.  
  
"Um, thanks." She said then they both looked up at each other and began laughing.  
  
The laughter started soft and then seemed to fill the ship, the once struggling Goku seemed to ease a bit, and a soft smile played on his lips. At that Chi-Chi only watched in wonder at the two giggling fools.  
  
********************  
  
So? How was that? I know this chapter is a bit corny, but the next one is going to action packed! It's the defining moment! The turning point in Cassie's life, where she learns she can be so much stronger! She even meets the love of her life =^.O=, and it's in the most unlikely of places! Plus this gets you closer to the end! The meaning of the title! (Yes, the title does mean something =V.V= ;) Ja Ne Towete! Usarea out. 


	7. Troubles Seem to Double

Disclaimer: I really don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. Even though it's a vast enterprise and I could have oodles and oodles of mullah, I think people would appreciate it as much as they do now... (Although, mine wouldn't be so drawn out...) But I love making up stories and characters to change and reform my favorite shows to my dreams.  
  
------= Television references ""= Talking ''=Thinking **=Telepathy (and Chapter brakes =o.O=)(and flashbacks...)  
  
I'm truly sorry about the last chapter, I promised you something and then I just went AWOL on you and left you hanging onto nothing but promises. Well, this chapter should fulfill at least some of it, if not all. R&R and all that. I will say this for sure, it's coming close to the dramatic conclusion that not even I could predict coming! So, ENJOY! =^.^=  
  
**********Chapter Seven***********  
  
Cassie sat with Krillian suddenly filling safer then she ever had before.  
  
'Is it because I'm new here? Is it because I didn't really feel safe before? I'm starting to feel really bad about knowing I actually thought I wasn't safe around these guys.' Cassie thought to herself as she talked with Krillian.  
  
"I wonder what they're finding out there." Krillian suddenly said and Cassie realized that she hadn't been paying close enough attention to their conversation.  
  
"Who?" she asked uncertainly, as though she felt ashamed for not listening.  
  
"Who? Why Trunks and Gohan, haven't you noticed they're not here?" Krillian said, but his voice wasn't scolding, just teasing.  
  
Heat rushed up into Cassie's cheeks and she frowned. When Krillian seen her reaction he suddenly went solemn, Cassie saw that her reaction was wrong and then playfully stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to burst into laughter.  
  
"Quite down you two! I swear, you're like a couple of children!" Chi-Chi yelled over Goku.  
  
Krillian and Cassie's laughter turned into stifled giggles.  
  
"So like I said, what do you think they'll find?" Krillian asked.  
  
Cassie thought about it for a moment. She knew without a doubt that they'd find Cell, but from there, from there, from there,  
  
What came next?  
  
Cassie suddenly realized that she didn't know what was next. She had watched the show a dozen times a day and she still didn't know what happened next.  
  
'Okay, calm down Cassie, I know they take Goku to Master Roshi's house, and from there, some where, they have a fight with Piccolo, but, that was before or after his merging with Kami? And then Trunks and Vageta train to fight Cell, but that's after Goku wakes up and tells them about the time chamber, Cell merges with android 17, but that was after defeating Piccolo,' the more Cassie strained to remember details, the more her head began to ache.  
  
It must have shown on her face because Krillian suddenly looked concerned.  
  
"Cassie? Cassie, you okay?" Krillian asked.  
  
When Cassie didn't respond Krillian touched her shoulder causing her to jump.  
  
"Sorry, you just suddenly looked like something was bothering you, I was just wondering if everything's okay." Krillian said softly as he gave her shoulder a little squeeze.  
  
Cassie forced her face and body to relax and then gave him a small smile.  
  
"I'm okay, thanks Krillian, it means a lot. It's just that, I've had a really rough day, and I hadn't meant on leaving home and I hadn't meant on meeting you all, I just, I just, I just don't know what to do." Cassie said looking down and striving not to cry.  
  
"Aw man, you must've had it pretty tough. I'm mean, that did seem like a pretty bad time to show up and all, not that we don't like you being here cause we do. I mean we really like that you're here, I guess what I'm trying to say is it makes sense." Krillian said as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
Cassie couldn't help but to cast him a puzzled glance.  
  
"You're babbling again, Krillian." Chi-Chi said with a flat matter-of-fact and irritated-but-too-tired tone from across the plane.  
  
"What I'm saying is that it seemed kind of odd that you should show up when you did, and that you didn't look like you knew where you were and the fact that you woke up to Vageta's ugly mug didn't help matters either. So I guess I'm saying I sympathize with you, but we're glad you're here all the same." Krillian said smiling innocently and openly.  
  
Cassie couldn't stand it any more, she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around Krillian's neck and then began sobbing onto his shoulder. At first Krillian seemed stunned and tense, but then he relaxed as if he understood, wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her back while whispering soothing messages to her. As she cried she was also thinking hard on what was going to happen.  
  
'Is it now that Cell's going to attack? Was Goku on board when he attacked it? No, I think it was after Goku woke up, yeah, that's it, he woke up and then instant transmitioned here and from there told Trunks and them. But why is my memory, so, bad,' Cassie thought before drifting off to sleep.  
  
When Cassie opened her eyes, she was in her room, standing in the middle of it wearing her Super Saiyan Trunks super baggy shirt on with a pair of close fitted jeans and her socks. She was standing in front of her VHS collection of Dragonball Z. Each tape fitted together to make one picture. She looked over these pictures, her eyes scanning till she came upon the Imperfect Cell Saga, something wasn't right. Cassie bent over for a closer look and noticed that the picture was faded. Suddenly she realized that it wasn't just faded, but it was fading as she watched. She frantically looked past the Imperfect Cell Saga on to the Majin Buu Saga and seen that it faded into whiteness when it reached there. There were no pictures for the Majin Buu Saga, only blank tapes.  
  
'What's going on!? What's happening?!!!' Cassie thought as she began to feel herself panic.  
  
Cassie suddenly took in a deep breath so that she could yell out her question, but when she opened her eyes for a second time she found that she was on a couch with a blanket strewn over her and pillow was propping up her head. Her heart was beating so fast as she sat up and looked around that she had unconsciously placed her hand on her chest.  
  
"What's the matter Hot-Stuff?" a voice came from beside her.  
  
She turned to see the bald head of an old man with large sunglasses peering over the back of the couch at her. She gave a sudden yip and then smacked him with her pillow. Her eyes grew wide and a deep blush formed on her cheeks as she dropped the pillow. The old man's head was cocked back at a bad angle and his glasses were knocked sideways.  
  
"I am so sorry, Master Roshi! I didn't mean to, I mean," she finally managed to say.  
  
"Ha-ha! Don't mention it! Being able to see such a luscious little lady like you blush made it all worth while!" he said laughing happily and rather loudly.  
  
Suddenly, before Cassie could find the time to react, Roshi went sailing into the ceiling. Standing behind him with her arm held up high, hand in a fist and looking as though she just upper-cutted Master Roshi, was Chi-Chi.  
  
"Dirty old man, some things just never change!!" Chi-Chi half-yelled and half-growled with clinched teeth at Roshi as he hung from the ceiling, his head hidden from view.  
  
Chi-Chi brought her fist down to rest on her hip.  
  
"I hope he didn't bother you too much, I knew better then to leave you in here unattended." Chi-Chi said while shacking her head.  
  
A thought suddenly went through her head.  
  
"Has Goku woke up yet?" Cassie asked Chi-Chi earnestly.  
  
Chi-Chi blinked at this and then looked thoughtful.  
  
"No, not yet."  
  
Cassie let out a sigh and then relaxed.  
  
"You sound relieved." Chi-Chi said, half accusingly and half teasing.  
  
Cassie suddenly looked horrified at the notion.  
  
"No, it's not that it's just that," before she could finish her sentence Chi-Chi placed her hand on Cassie's shoulder.  
  
"I know, you just wanted to be there when he woke up, it's perfectly understandable." Chi-Chi said with a smile and then turned from her.  
  
"I'm going to go cook, why don't you go check on Goku for me?" Chi-Chi and then headed for the kitchen.  
  
Cassie couldn't quite grasp what had happened and then it hit her, she realized what Chi-Chi was implying and what kind of trust was being given to her. Cassie smiled as her eyes began to brim with unshed tears.  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Cassie called back happily.  
  
Chi-Chi paused long enough to glance back with a slight smile before she continued and disappeared into the kitchen. Cassie tossed the covers off her, jumped off the couch and was heading towards the stairs when she realized that Gohan was there at a study table with his homework. But Gohan wasn't facing his homework, he was facing Cassie. Cassie suddenly stopped, not knowing what to say to Gohan.  
  
"Uh, hey Gohan, how's everything going?" she then knew why she didn't know what to say to him, it was because he had this angry, disappointed look on his face.  
  
At that Gohan looked down.  
  
"Trunks leave without you?" she asked finally.  
  
At that Gohan looked up with surprise.  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?" he asked.  
  
"Well," Cassie stopped to think about it.  
  
'I can't tell him it's because I remember this part of the show, or is that even it, my memories are getting to be so hazy, like fading pictures,' Cassie's thought trailed off at that.  
  
"It's because I notice that you're back, but he isn't. It was just a lucky guess, I could've been wrong." She said giving a sheepish smile and then shrugged.  
  
"Oh," Gohan said, but before he could finish what he might have said, the whole house began to shake.  
  
Gohan and Cassie looked at each other and seemed to know what the other was thinking.  
  
"What was that!!" Chi-Chi's frantically shrill voice came from the kitchen.  
  
Both Cassie and Gohan knew. Cassie's heart felt as though it were going to fly out of her chest, it was beating so fast. Her heartbeat practically thundered in her ears and she felt suddenly very light headed. Her breathing was beginning to speed up at well.  
  
'Goku'  
  
"Dad!"  
  
At that they both ran out the door to find Goku standing on the beach at the water's edge doing Kamehamehas over the water, causing waves to split. Cassie looked from Goku to Gohan, who's eyes were watering up, who's bottom lip was quivering violently and who's nose was unattractively running.  
  
"D-d-daddy?" Gohan asked in a small voice.  
  
Goku then turned to him, his expression magically changing from concentration to joy in a matter of milliseconds. Gohan ran to his father almost crying and once Chi-Chi saw him she ran into his arms and was flung into the air with the greatest of ease. When she came back down they looked like the happiest family ever. It had been slightly emotional when Cassie had watched it on television, but seeing it like this, in real life seemed so much more personal. This thought struck her so hard that she decided this might be one of those times when loved ones needed to be alone with the ones they loved and not burdened by a stranger. When she turned to leave Chi-Chi called her name and caused her to look back. It wasn't Gohan or Chi-Chi she noticed looking at her, but she realized that this was the first time Goku had seen her and for the first time she realized that she might be in some trouble.  
  
"Common over here, Cassie! Isn't it wonderful having Goku awake and well!" Chi-Chi eagerly motioned for Cassie to come stand with them.  
  
Goku was still watching her, his expression that of wonder not anger. Cassie had seen the look of anger on Goku's face and she remembered that was something she didn't mind seeing directed at the bad guys, but she never wanted directed at her. So she cast her gaze down and walked up to them. This time she was merely feet away from Goku. She felt the heat rise up so intensely in her face that she felt dizzy. Her heart was practically in her throat and she couldn't find her voice. She swallowed several times but couldn't seem to manage sound.  
  
"Well Goku, you probably don't remember her, but this is Cassie!" Chi-Chi said happily as though it was a family reunion.  
  
'Oh gosh dang it, I feel like such a heel, I don't deserve to meet Goku, I don't deserve them being so nice to me,' Cassie thought and felt as though she wanted to cry.  
  
Even though all Cassie wanted to do at that moment was to run away, she seemed frozen in place, her legs or anything else for that matter refused to cooperate. When all was quite for a few seconds and she realized that Goku hadn't out-right deny anything she stole a glance up at Goku, but only with her eyes, not her head. He looked surprised at first and then looked at Chi-Chi's smiling face and then smiled childishly.  
  
"Yeah! Of course I do!" Goku said happily.  
  
Both Gohan and Chi-Chi laughed happily about this, but it put Cassie into a state of shock. Taken totally aback by this response, her face had the expression that just screamed the word 'huh?!' all over it.  
  
"Common! Give me a hug!" Goku said happily and before she could protest or even respond he reached down and picked her up in a tight hug.  
  
'Why is he doing this?!' Cassie thought frantically.  
  
Her whole face went blood-red, her eyes turned into large swirlies and steam was practically rolling from her ears.  
  
'Gosh he's got a firm body,' Cassie thought in her delirium.  
  
'Cassie! How could you! That's just plain wrong to think something like that! Especially since he's already taken!' Cassie quickly reprimanded herself for such thoughts, kind, she didn't seem so sure when she told herself that.  
  
She suddenly felt Goku's voice in her ear as a dull whisper, the warm wind from his voice caused her to have goose bumps and the sheer bass from it caused her face to practically glow red.  
  
"I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure you'll explain it to me later, right?" he whispered.  
  
Cassie's breath caught and she felt her heart skip a beat and her whole body seemed to go into remission, everything refusing to work. She couldn't even swallow as she worked her mouth open and closed slightly, though no sound came out. When she hadn't said anything after a few moments Goku continued.  
  
"I know you don't mean any harm and that you're a good person, someone I wouldn't mind being around, but I've got to know what's going on, okay?" he said and as he did his voice was calm and understanding, but even worse was underneath it all that was something so much more and that was a slight pleading, as if he really wanted to know, that more then anything else caused her to want to cry.  
  
With that she managed to nod the barest of nods.  
  
"Good." He whispered almost relieved and then set her down.  
  
All she could do was look up at him with awe and absolute admiration.  
  
"It's good to see you again." She said in a small voice, her face noticeably red.  
  
Goku only smiled at that, the smile showed some kind of hidden meaning was behind it. Chi-Chi then looked at her, bending over to get a closer look at her. Cassie turned her head slowly almost reluctantly to look at Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi suddenly had a thoughtful look on her face.  
  
"Oh, I get it, you must've had some kind of crush on him when you were little." Chi-Chi said.  
  
"Huh?" was the unison response from both Gohan and Cassie.  
  
Cassie looked devastated and Gohan looked bewildered.  
  
"Mom please! You're embarrassing her!" Gohan pleaded.  
  
"Oh, common Gohan. I think its cute." Chi-Chi said and turned in time to see Goku heading toward the front door of the Kami House.  
  
"And where do you think your going?" she called to him before heading in his direction.  
  
"Aw, common Chi-Chi, I'm starving! Can't we get something to eat?" he asked pathetically while holding his stomach.  
  
Goku and Chi-Chi's voices carried into the house as Cassie and Gohan started walking back.  
  
"Sorry about that, my mom's not very tactful." Gohan said looking down and blushing while rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's okay, it just threw me off, that's all." Cassie said, her voice still hadn't regained it's strength back.  
  
"Oh good, so that means you really don't have a crush on my dad then! I was beginning to get worried for a second!" Gohan said nervously, but audibly relieved.  
  
"Huh! You thought so too?!" Cassie suddenly found her voice was perfectly strong again.  
  
She looked surprised at herself for being so direct, but Gohan seemed to see it as her finally being open with him as though they were finally friends.  
  
"Sorry! I couldn't help it!" he said light-hearted and apologetically.  
  
Suddenly Cassie felt as secure with Gohan as she did with Krillian.  
  
'It's because their characters are so easy to get along with, it's almost magnetic, especially with people who are lonely and desire friends the most, people like me.' Cassie thought to herself as she smiled at Gohan and followed him into the Kami House.  
  
However much she seemed at ease with Gohan as she followed him, she couldn't get the knot in her stomach to ease, let alone leave.  
  
***************************************  
  
So? How's that? I've gotten my artistic grove back, my artistic chi, my creative spirit! =^.^= me so happy. I hope you enjoyed it, I promise that I'll try and post more chapters and I'm sorry for the slump I've been in. Until next time, Ja Ne, Usarea  
  
Ps. You think that 8 pages more then made up for my absence? No? Me neither. 


	8. Truth Revealed, Decisions Made

Disclaimer: I really don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. Even though it's a vast enterprise and I could have oodles and oodles of mullah, I think people would appreciate it as much as they do now. (Although, mine wouldn't be so drawn out.) But I love making up stories and characters to change and reform my favorite shows to my dreams.  
  
------= Television references ""= Talking ''=Thinking =Telepathy (and Chapter brakes =o.O=)  
  
Wow, it seems as though I'm apologizing a lot for late chapters. Life's funny, and it has it's quirky moments, sometimes when you fall you're only down for a few moments, others seem much more longer. Well, I had one of those falling moments, I fell for someone actually and then on top of that life likes to throw in a couple of curve balls. I'm just trying to regain rational thinking! =.=. If you have any quirky lift-ups and/or let downs, I'd love to hear from you, till then, I hope you enjoy!  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Dinner went rather quickly, even faster then Cassie could remember seeing. She sat stiffly next to Goku and Gohan, not really knowing what to do. Every once and a while she would be able to pick something off of her plate and take small bites, but everything seemed to be in utter chaos. Goku kept reaching past her for food, his firm arm brushing past her, causing her to lean back to avoid it, and unable to keep her face from burning several hues of red. Gohan tried his hardest to meet his father half way with dishes he thought his dad wanted before he could reach across her. It was almost completely ineffective as Goku was being as unpredictable as ever. Chi-Chi was constantly chastising him on his table manners, but it seemed almost habitual, like she'd done it so many times before she wasn't putting that much emphasis on it, that and she was probably just glad to have her husband back. Cassie's head swam long after dinner was over. Goku leaned back in his chair and stretched, giving a happy grunt.  
  
"Ahhh! That was wonderful! And I'm so full!" Goku said in a loud, happily contented tone before he stood up and walked to the living room.  
  
Cassie had glanced around for Master Roshi, even the turtle, but before she could really wonder where they went her attention was back to Goku. Both her and Gohan got up at the same time and followed Goku. Chi-Chi was the last to stand.  
  
"And where to you think you're running off to now?" Chi-Chi asked in a stern voice as she crossed her arms and moved away from the table.  
  
This caused both Gohan and Cassie to turn towards her about midway to Goku. They only turned their heads to look back at Goku, who had turned only slightly.  
  
"I know what's been going on while I was out and we've got to get ready for the worst." Goku said, and in the silence of Chi-Chi shock he turned to Gohan.  
  
"We'll go see the guys and then we'll go to the tower, from there I'll go see what I can do about Vageta, you ready?" Goku asked, his face open with a slight smile.  
  
Gohan then nodded.  
  
"Now just hold on a minute!" Chi-Chi cried out bewildered, shocked and obviously offended by their lack of courtesy.  
  
"Sorry Chi-Chi, no time to talk! The food was delicious!" Goku said happily and from there everything seemed to go in slow motion.  
  
Goku's hand went up to his head, the two fingers extended, touching the forehead.  
  
'He's leaving.' Cassie thought.  
  
'If he leaves, if he leaves now, how will he know? How will I help? WHY AM I HERE??!!' her mind screamed as her legs moved as though weighted by lead, her hand moved as though it weighed far more then it should.  
  
It was like moving though water as her eyes began to brim with unshed tears, she couldn't breath, her head felt light and yet still her hand moved forward as Goku's hand moved towards Gohan.  
  
'I'm not going to make it!' she thought panicking.  
  
For a second she didn't feel anything, it was as though she grasped air, that feeling of failure seeping in before she felt as though she was suddenly jerked up and down, like an elevator stopping. She suddenly realized her face was buried in a thick cloth, moving slowly back she realized she was under a bewildered Goku's arm, his hand was still up and his fingers was still to his forehead. If he would've brought his arm down without thinking, he would've knocked her out with an elbow to the head. He looked down at her blinking, confused.  
  
"Cassie?" he asked, the question being 'what are you doing here?'  
  
She looked just as surprised as a single tear fell from her eye.  
  
'If you leave, how will you know why I'm here?' she thought, but wasn't able to find her voice.  
  
Something must have shown in her eyes, because then his eyes relaxed and a knowing smile graced his face and he laid one of his mammoth-hands on her head and playfully ruffled her hair. It was her turn to give a confused look, but it was almost pleading in a way, pleading for a conformation that he knew what was important. He gave a slight wink, in it was the suggestion that he'd address it later. It was like he knew what was going to happen next.  
  
"GOKU!!! Oh my gosh! Goku! Is that really you??!" Krillian was practically crying as he ran up to him and in his shortness, hugged Goku's leg.  
  
Goku laughed.  
  
"Come on Krillian, you're embarrassing me!" Goku said in a kidding, playful tone as he then looked around at everyone.  
  
They stood in the cargo part of the plane that took Goku to Master Roshi's. In there was Tien, Choutzu, Piccolo and Yamcha was flying the plane. They all did their welcome-backs to Goku, and Goku acknowledged them all, but seemed to stop at Piccolo. Goku's eyes then narrowed and he moved closer to him. Piccolo suddenly looked uneasy, everyone else had gone silent and serious.  
  
'What happened next?! I sure hope there wasn't some kind of important surprise at this moment! Like they find out Piccolo was an imposter and everyone as injured, or something worse!' Cassie thought, her thoughts spinning at the possibilities of not knowing what was going to happen next.  
  
"Pickame!" Goku suddenly said with simple happy face.  
  
Pickame did an anime fall and Cassie practically fainted from mental fatigue. Piccolo pulled himself together as well as off the floor, once he had regained his composure, he cleared his throat.  
  
"You can just call me Piccolo, Goku." He finally replied in his usual gruff manner.  
  
Goku gave an innocent look of comprehension and nodded before giving a smile and a thumbs up.  
  
"Okay!" he said happily as Piccolo slapped his forehead.  
  
Cassie blinked several times.  
  
'Pickame, I guess that was, that was the name of, um, does this mean the merger of Piccolo and Kame already happened?' Cassie thought, trying with all her might just to remember what happened.  
  
She was deep in thought when Krillian suddenly ran up to her.  
  
"Cassie! What are you doing here?!" Krillian cried out, grabbing her shoulders, causing her to jump and give a small yip.  
  
"Yes Goku, why is the girl here? Don't you know this is no place for a non- combatant?" Piccolo said to Goku.  
  
"Well, I hadn't exactly planned on her coming, she came, technically, on her own." Goku said still smiling and scratching the back of his head and giving a small glance at Cassie.  
  
"I still want to know who she really is and where it is she came from. Girls don't mysteriously fall from the sky and fall into warrior's laps every day, now do they?" Tien said, his tone stone solid and his eyes, all three of them, weighted on Cassie.  
  
Cassie had the sudden urge to hide behind Goku, she'd chance the embarrassment just to get away from the suspicion of that gaze.  
  
"Yeah! But wouldn't it be wonderful if they did!!" Yamcha commented happily from the front.  
  
"It's not a joke, Yamcha." Tien told him.  
  
"I don't see what you're so happy about Yamcha, he did say 'warrior' after all, so you'd have nothing to look forward to!" Krillian jested happily to Yamcha, as though Tien hadn't said anything at all.  
  
"Aren't you listening at all to what I'm saying?" Tien asked, his voice raising a notch.  
  
"Hey! I'm a warrior! Really!" Yamcha's distraught voice carried from the cockpit.  
  
"Sure you are." Krillian replied.  
  
Tien gave out a harsh sigh and threw his hands up.  
  
"That's it, I give up, if you can't listen to reason, why bother?" Tien said as he leaned back in his seat.  
  
"Trust me that she's okay, will you Tien?" Goku said, his features went a little serious.  
  
A surprised look came over Tien and his mouth slacked open just a bit. He then closed his mouth and his face relaxed.  
  
"Alright, for you I won't further my inquiry," he said reluctantly, his eyebrows went down a notch and his eyes moved back to Cassie.  
  
"however, I am going to keep an eye on her." He added on a lower note.  
  
A second later there came a snort from front, after that Krillian covered his mouth as though to stifle a laugh. That's when Yamcha started snorting harder, as though he seriously was trying to stop from laughing, but was loosing miserably. Krillian started laughing through his hand. Tien looked back from Yamcha to Krillian.  
  
"What's so funny?" a puzzled and slightly scornful look was on his face.  
  
Yamcha was shaking his head and was waving back behind him, as though to signal to Tien that he couldn't talk right then. Tien then turned to Krillian.  
  
"Don't look at me! It was all Yamcha!" Krillian said as tears were beginning to stream from his eyes.  
  
"Just tell me what it is you are laughing at!" Tien said seriously.  
  
Cassie glanced at Goku, who was wearing a soft smile as he watched his friends. He then looked in the corner of his eye to see Cassie watching him, he then gave her a smile before touching Gohan's shoulder.  
  
"Well, we've got to get going, we'll meet you at the Watch Tower." Goku said giving a small wave.  
  
Piccolo gave a slight nod, Choutzu was standing nervously away from Tien, Tien was getting up and moving towards Yamcha, Yamcha was trying to calm Tien only half-heartedly as if to avoid pain, Krillian was rolling on the floor and Gohan was only watching with slightly disturbed and ashamed look on his face. Cassie looked back at the scene and found herself smiling to herself too.  
  
'To have such great friends as these, I'm so lucky if just to be here.' Cassie thought.  
  
"You ready Cassie?" Goku asked as he was back into position, his hand on Gohan's shoulder and his other hand to his forehead.  
  
She glanced back at Goku's kind face and smiled.  
  
"Sure." She said and then placed her hand on his arm.  
  
All happened simultaneously: She looked down with a slight blush and a tiny smile, he's smile widened a touch and then everything flashed by. The elevator feeling came and went before a strong breeze came by. Her head felt suddenly very light and as her ears popped she felt herself falling. She felt Goku's hand on her back, easily holding her steady.  
  
"Whoa, you okay?" Goku said with a slight smile.  
  
She nodded uncertainly and then tried to stand, Goku's hand helped greatly with that.  
  
"What happened?" Gohan asked as his hands dropped, Cassie then realized Gohan wanted to help too.  
  
"It was more then likely a reaction to the sudden pressure change." A deep voice said with a familiar accent.  
  
Cassie swallowed numerous times before her dizziness faded and she was able to turn her head to see that it was Mr. Po-Po. He stood with his hands behind his back as usual, his simple smile and the expressionless beady eyes and Cassie felt uneasy to be near him.  
  
'I don't know why, but he's kind of creeping me out. Different art style I suppose.' She thought to herself.  
  
"Hum, is that so? Well, anyway, you're fine now. I'm going to see about Vageta and I'll be back soon, okay?" Goku said getting back into position.  
  
Gohan nodded and Cassie looked down, feeling bad about feeling awkward around Po-Po before giving her uncertain nod.  
  
"When I get back we should have plenty of time to talk, okay Cassie?" Goku said with a certain smile.  
  
Cassie then looked up to Goku, the look uncertain, but then she gave a small smile and another, brisker nod.  
  
Goku gave wider smile.  
  
"Good. Well, I guess I'm off." He said cheerfully and then disappeared.  
  
Cassie took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly.  
  
"Are you feeling alright Ms., would you like to have a seat?" Po-Po then asked politely then turning, gave a slight bow while motioning towards some steps.  
  
She looked surprised at first, then looked down sadly, a small blush forming.  
  
'Why do I feel uncomfortable around him? He's just a nice man trying to help me out. What a creep I turned out to be.' She thought sadly, suddenly ashamed of herself.  
  
"Yes, please." She managed to say in a small voice.  
  
"Here. I'll help you." Gohan said placing his hand under one of her arms to keep her steady as she slowly walked to the steps.  
  
As she walked to the steps she realized she knew this room. It was the steps leading to the time chamber. She then smiled to herself.  
  
'At least I remember that much.' She thought.  
  
"Well, I will make my leave. It was nice meeting you, you're such a nice young lady." Po-Po said to Cassie, making her feel even worse and her cheeks grew brighter.  
  
"Thank-you, it was nice meeting you too, Mr. Po-Po." Cassie said in the nicest tone she could.  
  
"Hmm," Po-Po said as the smile faded some from his face.  
  
"The pleasure was mine, Ms." He then gave a bow and then turned and left.  
  
"You met Mr. Po-Po too, Cassie?" Gohan asked her.  
  
Before she could answer she heard voices becoming increasing louder.  
  
"Stop nagging me woman! Kakarot, where is this chamber you were speaking of? I want to get in and get out as soon as possible!" the voice sent shivers down Cassie's spine, her head was steadily becoming clearer.  
  
"Come on Vageta, Bulma was nice enough to make us this armor, the least you could do is thank her." Goku's voice came.  
  
"I'm wearing it aren't I?! That's gratitude enough!" Vageta said as he rounded the corner, Goku steadily at his heals, they were both wearing the Saiyan armor Bulma had made for them.  
  
Cassie managed to stand, even though wobbly, as Vageta approached. She didn't seem to find the strength to move as Vageta was suddenly upon her. He stopped mere feet from her, a disgusted look on his face.  
  
"And what are YOU doing here?!" he said with his usual violent gruffness.  
  
Terror seized her as she froze in front of him, not knowing what to do or say. Suddenly Vageta was walking to her and her legs refused to move.  
  
"If you can't find enough intelligence to answer a simple question then step aside, women are of no use, I swear!" he snapped as he casually brushed her aside.  
  
She hadn't seen him walk up, but Trunks was suddenly holding her up, he too wore the Saiyan armor Bulma made. She seemed frozen, the frightened look still on her face, only now tears were streaming down it. She soon realized she was she was shaking. He stood awkwardly holding her, both hands on her shoulders as she stood with her side leaning on him.  
  
"Uh, don't cry, it's not, I mean, he doesn't mean anything by it," Trunks unsteady voice tried to comfort her before he looked back at Vageta.  
  
"Father!" he said partially chastising, partially angry and partially embarrassed.  
  
"What?! Are you going to stay here nursing some frail woman's emotions or are you coming to train because it doesn't matter either way with me!" Vageta called back impatiently.  
  
Trunks only narrowed his eyes as Cassie began to cry a little harder, faint whimpers were torn from her throat.  
  
"Vageta!" it was Goku's voice now and it held a faint tone of shock and disapproval.  
  
"Pht, it's down right disgraceful, women have no practical function, their too emotional and irrational for my taste, I'm going in whither you do or not." Vageta sneered before turning and heading towards the door.  
  
Cassie felt Goku more then seen him draw closer to her, her eyes remained clouded and fixed on the white tile of the watch tower's floor. One of his hands rested on her shoulder, next to Trunks'.  
  
"Don't worry about her, I've got her. You go on with Vageta and I'll see you when you two are finished." Goku said to him in a light tone, but still held an air of disapproval and discontent.  
  
"Right, okay. I guess I'll see you when we get back then." Trunks said uncertainly as he slowly let his arms move away as he walked back.  
  
Goku's hand steered Cassie easily to him, allowing her to rest her head on his lower chest. She had her eyes held tightly shut, the tears continuously streaming down her face as her arms lay limp at her sides.  
  
'Am I useless? Am I too emotional? Too irrational?' Cassie thought to herself and she began shaking harder.  
  
Goku's arms wrapped around her shoulders and brought her closer.  
  
'I've got to be! How else can you explain me not being able to stand up to Vageta! It looks so much easier on the show! I always wondered why he didn't stand up to Frieza, why'd he let it push him around, now I know. It was because Vageta knew he'd be crushed like a bug! It was because he was a coward, and now I know that I am one too!' Cassie thought in agony as she could feel her hands slowly clinching into fists.  
  
"Don't let what Vageta say bother you, he wasn't talking about you personally, he just can't see what's so special about girls in particular. It because he's never seen a girl fight, other wise he'd know that it's the scariest thing in the world! I mean once Chi-Chi gets fired up, whoa! Watch out! Even I get scared just thinking about it!" Goku said in his usual open, innocent tone and with that he gave of a laugh, it was a deep sound that seemed to resonate in his chest.  
  
The tears had stopped and Cassie couldn't help but smile, to further it she gave a small chuckle herself.  
  
"He's right you know, once mom gets started it's practically war afterwards, and that means dad usually has to go fishing and I have to do homework." Gohan added in enthusiastically.  
  
Goku then released his hold on her and allowed her to step back some so he could see her face and so that she could see his. He gave her a warm smile and as she wiped her eyes she gave a small embarrassed one back. Goku then looked to Gohan.  
  
"Hey Gohan, why don't you talk Mr. Po-Po into making us something to eat, I'm starving!" he asked him with a broad smile.  
  
"Huh? But we just got done eating not too long ago!" Gohan said with exasperation and disbelief.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but I worked it off and my tank's on empty! Pleeeeease Gohan! I promise I won't eat for a while afterwards, cross my heart!" Goku said turning to Gohan with his hands pressed together as though he were preying and gave a little bow of his head.  
  
"Alright, alright! You don't have to do all that, dad! I'll go see what I can do." Gohan said waving off his father, his cheeks glistening red.  
  
"Ahhh! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it, Gohan, I mean it!" Goku said rubbing Gohan's head.  
  
Gohan gave a small smile and he blushed even redder and gave a little laugh.  
  
"It's nothing. I'll be back." He said moving from his father's hand and giving a small wave before turning and leaving.  
  
Goku gave a large wave and cupped his other hand around the side of his mouth.  
  
"Bring us back something tasty!" Goku called to him.  
  
A small sweat drop could be seen before Gohan turned back with his ever reddening face and gave a small wave for confirmation before he continued on. Goku then let his hands fall to his waist and he then turned to Cassie, his smile fresh and new, his eyes held a relieved kind of hope and eagerness.  
  
"Well, now that he's gone, we can talk. I want to hear all about you." Goku said happily as he gave a smile.  
  
Cassie gave a small smile as she felt her face grow warm. Goku then draped his arm over her shoulder and brought her quickly close as he began walking her away from the chamber doors.  
  
"Don't be shy! We're friends now, and there's nothing you can say that would make me feel any different about you!" he said bubbling with excitement.  
  
"Really?" Cassie said looking up to him, her face revealed uncertainty.  
  
"Yeah, I mean I know you're a good person, I can feel your heart and know that your intentions are just as good as you are. That's probably why I want to hear about you so much. I want to get to know you more as a friend." Goku said smiling kindly, his hands dropping to his sides as they walked together.  
  
"But I lied to everyone, about who I am." Cassie said, her face unsure.  
  
"Well, tell me what happened and we'll see what it is from there, okay?" Goku said, his smile still there, but his tone slightly more serious.  
  
Cassie then told him her story, about everything that happened the night before she arrived on until the moment they were now in. Goku's expressions changed so very frequently throughout the story, she was finding it hard to continue without pauses, and she definitely couldn't keep up with them. When she was finished his face revealed nothing, just a small frown.  
  
'He's going to be angry, or at the very least disappointed. The lie was such a stupid one, and it may have been insignificant, but it was a lie all the same. I feel so horrible for doing it.' Cassie's thoughts spun as she thought she was going to cry.  
  
'Anybody but Goku, I'd have anyone else mad at me but him. It's not because he could beat me up if he wanted to, or kill me in an instant, but because I look up to him and want him to approve of me, I don't want to disappoint him, not him. He is, after all, my hero.' She thought still reading his face for some kind of anger or sadness, or even worse, he could show nothing and his interest in her would die.  
  
He frowned a little more and Cassie took in a deep breath as she found she wasn't breathing.  
  
"Wow. I had no idea." Goku's face was in sudden awe and understanding.  
  
He then began nodding, as they had stopped walking and sat down on the steps of the time chamber.  
  
"That's gotta be pretty tough! Being away from home like that! I mean you are definitely a LONG way from home! Whew! You should've told everyone, I'm sure they would've understood, you didn't need to make up some story about you. So how about when all this is through, we'll all get together and we'll hear your true story, okay? It's not good to keep secrets like that bottled up inside you, it's not healthy." Goku said with an open smile, and before Cassie could express her extreme happiness and gratitude Gohan ran up to them.  
  
"Where were you guys? I've been looking everywhere for you. I wanted to let you know that Mr. Po-Po's got food fixed for you, dad." Gohan said with only a hint of his being irritated with his father.  
  
"Alright! Food! Let's go eat!" Goku called out happily.  
  
"Goku, wait a second, I want to tell you something." Cassie said as they were getting up and Goku was walking away.  
  
Goku looked back, an inquisitive look on his face.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"I was thinking and I've finally came to a conclusion about something." She said, her voice low and slightly shaky.  
  
"Okay, and what's that?" Goku said, now both Goku and Gohan had a look of interest on their faces.  
  
"I've decided," she said, her voice a little scratchy.  
  
She then cleared her throat and took a deep breath.  
  
'My mind's made up and there's nothing anyone can do to change it. I want to help, more then anything I've ever wanted before in my life, but first I've got to be able.'  
  
"I'm going to spend a year training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!" she said, her voice determined and full of confidence and unwavering certainty.  
  
Well, how was that? Yeah, for old time's sake I decided to leave it on a cliffy, I know you probably won't forgive me, but I couldn't help myself. Plus I've been working on this one chapter for two days now, and if I didn't stop it here, where else was it going to end. This is nearing it's end, I swear, and there is love in this story, I kid you not! It is a romance after all! And romance needs love to thrive or even exist for that matter! That's only my personal and unwavering opinion, mock me all you wish, but I am truly old fashioned and quite proud of it thank you very much. Ahhh now with that out of the way, I think it's the next chapter I write where she finds her love interest, this unwavering and totally devoted sort of love you can only hear about in fiction now-a-days tears stream down face as my spirit slowly wavers itself from my lifeless corpse, but I will hold stead fast to my dreams, for even if I should become an old maid, living in a cramped one-roomed apartment shared with fifty dozen cats I will believe that true love concurs all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! end of commentary AHHH! The story, yes, I'll write chapter nine as soon as possible. Just for fun, I say I can wrap it up in five more chapters. Let's see if I can live up to my own expectations =.=, or I'll die trying =o.O=; 


	9. The Road to Change

Disclaimer: I really don't own Dragonball Z, nor would I want to. Oh the strain! Oh the dedication. Akira must've had some fun creating the series; I know I'm having fun warping it to my own specifications. My own twisted, perverted sense of reality will be realized and my dreams will become reality! Well, maybe only on this site. It's been a while hasn't it? I've been thinking rather hard on this new chapter, what would give me the most satisfaction? Eww, the devious thoughts that run through my head! T.T. (It's funny, my computer sees that symbol as wrong, and so it's underlined red, so it kinda looks like its blushing. Well, on with the story!

Television references "" Talking ''Thinking Telepathy (and Chapter brakes o.O)

Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Both Goku and Gohan stared in bewilderment and questioning disbelief of what they had just heard. They then looked at each other and then back at her. Her cheeks were puffed up, her shoulders were held strait back, her chest sticking slightly out, a determined frown on her face. A sweat drop formed on both Goku and Gohan.

"Are you sure about this, it's not exactly the kind of place," Goku was saying, but paused as he could see her frown deepen but her eyes wavered with determination floating on the surface of helpless pain.

Goku then stood as strait as he could, his expression suddenly serious.

"I'll ask you only once to reconsider this." he said, his voice deepened.

At this change of mannerism Cassie felt a sudden wave of uncertainty.

'Goku doesn't agree with me? Does he think this is a bad idea?' she thought her mind teetering between emotions unknown.

'But I want to help, I'll do anything!' she thought again, trying to fend off the knots twisting in her stomach.

'Now would be a good time to back out, it's not too late,' her head felt suddenly light, she knew what her final answer was no matter what she really felt at that moment.

'If I don't do it now, I know that I'll regret it forever.'

There came only one quick nod from Cassie and it seemed Goku had gotten her final answer.

"I'll only allow it on two conditions, are you listening carefully?" he asked.

She swallowed hard, the frown transforming a tad into a wince. She then prepared herself for the worst.

"First, you'll have to go in with someone who's experienced with the chamber, agreed?" Goku said.

She then took a deep breath and then nodded.

"Second condition, you must come out if it becomes too much for you, it's not good for you to push yourself too hard, you'll only be hurting yourself and you won't be any help to us." Goku said.

Cassie's heart began racing. She had never seen Goku like this, this serious, this practical. She began breathing faster as she felt herself getting numb. Goku had this aura about him, it was overwhelming; something that seeped into one's very being, strong and persuasive. It made one ether strive to do good, or fear to do evil. She gave a slight, slow nod.

'I'm really doing this? I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Am I more scared then nervous, or more nervous this scared?' she thought becoming aware that her hands were shaking.

She didn't even notice the look of concern Gohan was giving her as he kept glancing back and forth between her and his dad. Goku gave a sigh and then a slight smile that caused her heart to jump into her throat as Goku began to stride towards her. He stopped a foot from her, placed a large hand on her shoulder and as she craned her neck to look up at him his smile softened and widened a bit. A small chuckle could be heard in his throat.

"You know, you remind me of myself when I was about your age, its kinda cute." he said and gave a small laugh.

She could only look up in awe at this man standing before her. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

'I wish,' she thought to herself.

'I wish he could be my father.'

Before anything more could be said both Goku and Gohan looked off in the same direction, their faces full of concern. Cassie went to follow the gaze, but saw nothing, the gaze wasn't even into the sky beyond the watch tower; it was slightly turned towards the tile floor. She looked back and saw their expressions had intensified some. It was then she realized that they weren't 'seeing' anything, they were sensing. She then looked back in the direction they were staring.

'Is it the fight? Piccolo and some one else? What does it feel like? How do they know who's who?' Cassie was overcome by a feeling of frustration and sadness.

'I wonder if this is how Yamcha, Krillian and the others feel. Having to stay out of fights to save the Earth because they're too weak to do anything else!' she thought as tears threatened to well up in her eyes.

"Piccolo." Gohan said as he exhaled, his voice was shaky and was edged with fear.

"Piccolo!" he cried this time, taking off in a sprint.

"Gohan stop!" Goku called after him, his voice stern and commanding.

Gohan turned, tears streaming down his face.

"How can I! Piccolo's in trouble! He needs our help, are you just going to let him die!" Gohan yelled frantically at his father.

Gohan's face was filled with pain, panic, and disbelief.

"Just wait, there's nothing we can do for them right now." Goku replied, his tone reasonable.

'On the show I could understand why Goku wouldn't help Piccolo, or Tien, but now, now it just seems so heartless of him, so cowardly, I thought, I thought Gohan was just being a child, but' she thought as she saw Gohan try to run off again.

"Gohan!" Goku's voice was even more demanding now, even more stern.

"We can't just wait for him to die! How can you just stand around here AND WAIT?" Gohan yelled and turned to run again.

This time Goku chased after him, in a blink Gohan was knocked to the ground and pinned. Cassie stood watching with uncertainty. Something had changed in her mind. She watched with a look of surprise and discomfort, unknowing what to do next.

'It was so different, watching it on TV rather then actually being here, it seems so,' suddenly it came to her, this overwhelming epiphany summed up in a single word,

'real.'

She suddenly felt everything again, the wind, the warmth from the sun, the slight chill in the air, slight water vapor clinging to her skin. She could smell the soapy tile and stones used to build the watch tower, she could smell the soil used in Mr. Po Po's garden and the plants and trees that grew randomly there. Everything seemed to be a cartoon, but only in the aspect that everything was flawless. She looked down at her hands and saw only the line that were necessary to identify and define them, it was almost as if, she were beginning to forget something very important, something about herself, where she was from,

'This, is real?' she thought and then turned her gaze back at Goku and Gohan as they struggled with one another.

'I know them, I really, actually know those people. I've met them, touched them, they are real, as real as I am.' She thought finding herself walking absentmindedly towards them both as she did she became more and more aware of herself and that which was around her.

Gohan was still crying when she reached them.

Goku looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time, the look was that of not knowing what to expect. Suddenly his face relaxed, the expression was that of quiet resolution. He released Gohan and stood. With this abrupt change Gohan only sat in puzzlement as his father brought his fingers to his head and then disappeared. Gohan sat staring at the floor as Cassie slowly walked up to him. He looked up for only a moment as she turned herself to sit down next to him, and once she was seated, he went back to staring at the floor.

'Sitting this close to Gohan, why does it make me nervous all of a sudden? Is it because I really don't know what to do? Afraid or making a mistake? Afraid of losing him? Or afraid that I am as completely useless as I think I am?' she thought to herself sadly.

Her jaw moved slightly as though she was working up the courage to say something, and then it just came.

"Gohan, I have no idea what you're going through right now, and yet, maybe I do. When I was eleven my parents got into an accident that left them in the hospital. I wanted to see them so badly, I cried, I yelled, I screamed, yet no one would let me see them. I hated them for not letting me see them, but even more so, I hated myself because there was nothing I could do. I never saw them again, not even at the funeral, I ran away, I was so ashamed of myself for what I couldn't do for them, it was sickening. I don't want that to happen ever again." she talked in a low tone as tears started streaming down her face.

When she turned to a look of questioning need was on her face. Gohan could only look back with a look of slight surprise, his mouth partially hung open. He looked down before looking away. Deciding she had failed with that minute attempt of comfort she also looked down.

"I'm sorry." Gohan's voice suddenly shattered the silence.

She looked back at him in puzzled surprise, she wanted to shake her head.

'There's nothing you should be sorry for,' she wanted to say, but she couldn't seem to find her voice.

Gohan looked back at her, a small blush formed on his face as he was not looking at her, but down towards her feet.

"I should have more faith in my father and in Piccolo." he said, the red deepened, his eyebrows turned slightly down, quiet frustration wavered in his eyes and before she could speak he looked up at her all of a sudden.

The determination in his eyes were almost physically felt on her part.

"And you should have more faith in yourself." he stated in a stern steady voice, something that sounded more like his father then him.

Her eyes widened with utter surprise. More tears fell as she hid her eyes behind a shadow, but as quick as the shadow appeared, it disappeared, revealing sad eyes that were forced happy and a small smile.

"Maybe, maybe we should go get some sensu beans." she said in a hushed tone.

Gohan's expression softened before it reflected hers and then he gave a quick nod and then stood. Once he was standing he reached down for her hand. Cassie's heart felt like it stopped, it was almost like a marker for the beginning of something, something substantial, some undisputable change. She smiled, took his hand and allowed him to help her stand. On Gohan's face was a look of determination, but his eyes were laughing with giddy delight as the thought of helping made the blood rush and the head swim with possibilities.

"We'd better hurry to Corrin's." he said as he turned and left, heading towards the edge of the watch tower.

Cassie was quick to follow, but as she neared the edge, the more she slowed her pace. The closer to the edge she got, the more her legs began to feel weak and wobbly and she began to feel light-headed. Only a mere couple of feet from the watch-tower's edge and the vast open skies became even more apparent then they'd ever been before. Fear coated the back of her throat, making it hard to breath. Her legs felt like lead that had melded with the floor of the tower, making it difficult to move even another step. She hadn't even realized that Gohan's hand was now gripping hers.

"Cassie? Cassie." Gohan steadily called to her.

Finally he gave her arm a tug, her attention slowly going to him as though she had forgotten that he was even there. His face was full of concern.

"You okay?" he asked.

She swallowed hard and finally gave the barest of nods.

'Gohan's strong, and he can fly, and he's super fast, he won't let me fall.' She thought to herself, trying to chase away her fears.

'That sounds familiar, like something you said the time you tried to get yourself to go on the Tower of Terror, even though you convinced yourself that it was safe, that even though you were falling, the ride really wasn't going to crash, and that it's really unprofessional to kill your customers, you still managed to chicken out every time.' The voice was less like her own and more like her friend's after she scolded Cassie for being scared and chickening out.

'She wasn't angry, just, disappointed.' Cassie thought and then looked back at Gohan, who truly looked concerned.

After several failed attempts, she finally managed to say something.

"You ready to get those beans, Gohan?" she asked, her voice straining to sound enthusiastic, but it held an audible edge of uncertainty.

Gohan seemed reluctant, but he eventually replied with,

"Sure." He said and then turned and let go of her hand.

"You know, it'd be a lot easier if I just flew down there real quick and brought them back." He said turning back to her, it not really being a statement but a friendly suggestion, almost as if he was asking her if it was okay if he went on his own.

Her head was a little too quick to nod and her mouth was a little to willing to speak.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea. I'll just wait for you here." She said quickly a faint smile on her face.

"Okay." Gohan said with a smile and a wave before disappearing over the edge.

Cassie gave a slight wave after him before slowly backing away from the edge.

'I can't believe you just chickened out again.' Her friend's voice echoed through her head.

'It won't be like this for long, not after I get through training. I'll be stronger then. I've got to be.' She thought sadly as a feeling of shame slowly crept in.

A few minutes passed before Gohan reappeared, flying up and then landing in front of her, as he did a noise came from behind Cassie causing her to turn around. Goku had appeared carrying two bodies under each arm. One was Piccolo, the other was Tien, both were wounded, their cloths torn to shreds in places and Tien's shirt was all but gone. As Gohan ran towards his father, Goku carefully laid the bodies down.

"Thanks Gohan." Goku said as he took the bag of beans from Gohan and went about giving them to Piccolo and Tien.

Piccolo woke up as Goku was giving a sensu bean to Tien. Piccolo's entire being seemed to be wrecked with wounded pride as he looked up to see Cassie watching him. It looked as though he was going to say something to her (something probably not nice or sarcastic) but Gohan rushed up to him.

"Piccolo!" he cried out happily.

Piccolo's attention was diverted to Gohan and a small smile played on his lips, but it was hidden behind a false irritation. He grunted as he slowly stood.

"What is she still doing here?" Piccolo grunted.

Cassie then suddenly realized something in his tone. At first it appeared to have all the distaste and distain one would find when biting into a two month old salami sandwich found behind the couch after spring cleaning, but there was something more there and she realized what it was. Worry. Like she should be far from where the fighting was.

'He, fears for my safety?' Cassie wondered in amazement, finding it impossible to reply.

Goku seemed to be confused at first then he saw that Piccolo was looking at Cassie.

"Cassie? She's going to help us." Goku said blatantly and with a confidant smile, one that practically said 'don't be silly'.

A mortified look passed over Piccolo's features as a huge sweat drop appeared.

"W-what? Help us! You're joking! How can she possibly help us! Just look at her!" Piccolo yelled in that gruff tone of his and turned slightly so that not only could he point at her, but he made sure that Goku could see who exactly he was talking about.

"I know she doesn't look like much of a fighter, but she's promised to give her all. Even if she can't fight in the end, just knowing I'm lucky enough to have someone like that at my side makes me feel that this fight is more in our favor. That's what makes a good fighter even better, his friends." With that last part Goku looked at Cassie.

Cassie felt her face burn bright as she felt she was going to cry. Piccolo, however, didn't exactly have the same response. The look he was giving Goku was more like Goku needed to be locked away, the sweat drop just doubled in size and multiplied by three.

'That's the look, that's the gapping mouth look from Budokai 1 and possibly 2. Who knew it actually existed.' Cassie's mind wondered, the blush deepened as she realized how bad that thought was.

The look quickly vanished as Piccolo successfully pulled himself back together and managed quite well to make himself look calm. He even went as far as to take a slow, deep breath and exhale exactly ten seconds afterwards. At this time Tien was awake, but from the looks of his surroundings, knew not to say anything. He just looked from Goku to Piccolo with a confused look on his face. Gohan at this point seemed to share the same reaction as Tien. Cassie, felt like she was caught in the mist of a marital spat, and she was the child in question.

"Goku, I'll only say this once, it's bad enough to have Vageta's woman jetting in and out of battle fields, but at least she has the resources and the common sense to get away. I refuse to be liable for a human life, and if things get too heated, she'll be in danger and I doubt we'll have the ability to save her if need be." Piccolo said as calmly as possible, his voice jumping every now and then to emphasize a point, though it took him a few moments to fully realize what it was he was saying, and that it confirmed exactly what Cassie was thinking.

When he realized it, he seemed a little taken aback with his own words. With his teeth clenched a small strip of red could be seen through the green, making the red seem darker. Cassie then felt a warm tingling sensation all over. His words seemed to echo through her head. She felt compelled to move forward, to tell him that it was alright, but something stopped her.

'What would happen if I should die in this world? Would I go home? Would I be stuck by their rules and go to their heaven? Would I be able to be wished back?' these thoughts whirled in her head.

Goku's reaction almost mirrored Piccolo's, in the area that he realized that there was a substantial risk in Cassie staying at the tower, or anywhere near the Z fighters for that matter. Before Goku could reply, all of their attention was diverted to the doors of the time chamber, all of them except Cassie, who happened to look when after everyone else did. She then felt something, something hazy, but it was still an odd feeling that was coming from the chamber. That's when the doors opened and out stepped a long-haired, battered Trunks, and an equally, if not more, battle worn Vageta. As if right on cue, a small ship landed, in the driver's seat was Bulma and in the passenger seat was the baby Trunks.

"Looks like I came just in time!" Bulma said as she jumped out of the ship.

A look of bewilderment was on everyone's faces as they watched Bulma move to the back of the ship and began unloading boxes. It was Vageta who was first to speak up.

"What are you doing here woman!" Vageta yelled at her as he stalked closer to her.

"What kind of greeting is that! No "hello" or "how are you?"! Jeeze, Vageta, you've really got to work on your people skills!" Bulma yelled back, but continued to pull out boxes.

"What are you doing here mother?" Trunks asked.

Bulma's reaction suddenly shifted to that of happy as she addressed him.

"I'm glad you asked! And if your father wasn't so rude, I would've told you that I've brought you more armor and supplies!" she said happily with a twang of sarcasm only when stating that Vageta was rude.

Vageta gave a huff, crossed his arms and looked away.

"Nobody asked you to stupid woman." Vageta muttered.

"What was that! You don't want my help? It's because I'm a woman, isn't it? You're the most egotistical male I've ever met, I swear!" Bulma yelled, but was still pulling out boxes.

"No,no! We really do appreciate all you've done for us, honest! He's just worried you might get hurt that's all!" Trunks said defensively as he ran up to help his mother.

Vageta shot him a sharp look before giving another huff.

"Whatever, we don't have much time to spare for these idiocies, but I suppose I can take the armor, if that'll make you happy." Vageta said in a grumble, and the way he said 'happy' would be better replaced with 'shut-up'.

After they got their armor on they took off, leaving Bulma holding the baby and waving them goodbye, and the others just watching. Goku clapping his hands made their attentions revert back to Goku and Gohan.

"Well, I guess it's time we got going! Ready to go, Gohan?" Goku said rubbing his hands together and looking at Gohan.

Gohan only looked at him for a moment before giving a brief nod. They then both looked at the others, who were standing there waiting.

"Well, I guess we'll see you in a day! Take care till then!" he said then both Gohan and Goku turned to walk away.

Gohan's attention lingered a little on Cassie before turning and going to the doors.

"Gook luck you two!" Bulma yelled to them and gave a big wave with her free hand.

They turned back and gave them all a wave, Cassie managed a small wave and a sheepish smile, causing Goku and Gohan to smile a bit more before disappearing into the chamber. It wasn't until they were gone that Cassie realized that she was left alone with no one but Piccolo, Tien, Bulma and baby Trunks. The smile of hers turned from a happy one to a nervous one.

'What do I do now? Piccolo isn't much of a socialist. I don't really know Tien and Bulma's a little scary for my taste.' Cassie thought to herself, which then she noticed the knot in her stomach coming back.

Cassie slowly turned to see everyone had gathered near the edge of the tower. Cassie swallowed loudly and hugged herself as she felt a chill run down her spine. To make matters worse a small gust of wind whipped through, causing Cassie to rock and stumble a bit to gain proper footing. As for the others, Bulma just pulled Trunks a little closer, her hair and cloths tussled, and Piccolo and Tien were basically unaffected. It was only weather to them, an every day occurrence, but for Cassie, terror gripped her heart for those few seconds, the horrible thought of being blown off the edge overcame her thoughts and she seemed stuck in the position she found herself in once she found her footing. Her eyes still wavered some and her body trembled slightly, the look of horror still masked her face some, but with that the awful realization came. The realization that it was a possibility that she could be swept away with the current that no one else seemed to notice. A regular person, from the regular world wasn't meant to be there. This was a place for aliens and impossibilities being scientific law. It was a time of machines and magical dragonballs, dragons and infinite wishes, well, almost infinite. There was no place in this world for her, if anything, she was one of those people you never got to know, the ones you only seen once in the show and were only seen for a split second as they were running away from some disaster or villain.

'But, Goku's found a place for me. And Gohan too. Even Vageta, with his seemingly hateful attitude, has made a place for me. Them just knowing me, them just taking the time to know me, that, that has made a place for me in this world!' Cassie thought, and as she did her body began to relax, her breathing became steady and she began to feel her blood begin to warm and her skin tingled.

It was as though she could actually feel the fires of determination welling inside her. The flames coursing over her skin in warm waves, the cold numb of fear was melting away and she felt as though nothing could stop her from her destiny. Well, that was before a shadow over fell her and she felt the cool breeze beginning to cool her skin once again. Slowly she looked up and realized that Tien was standing in front of her. She found herself quickly straitening herself up, standing as strait as she could, almost at attention. Her expression was a determined mask failing at the attempt at hiding uncomfortable anxiety. At first Tien had a stern look about him, but with that reaction, he didn't know what to do. He stood there with an eyebrow rose, mouth slightly open and an all around confused demeanor. He then brought his fist close to his mouth, closed his eyes and gave a small cough, as though he were clearing his throat in order to speak.

"Um, right. I just came over here to see if you needed me to take you anywhere." He said in an uneasy and unsure tone.

Cassie's mask fell away, leaving only a look of utter confusion.

"What I mean is, do you need to go anywhere? I'm going to Master Roshi's to check on Choutzu, if you'd like to accompany me back, I'm sure Chi Chi is fairly worried about you and it won't be until the end of the day till Goku and Gohan make it out of the chamber." Tien continued to ramble on, Cassie's eyes seemed to follow his movements while he spoke as though she could actually see the words and she was trying to read what they meant.

Tien stumbled on, even though he was done with his initial question. It was as though when he finished saying one thing, Cassie looked as though that he was supposed to continue, or explain, compelling him to ramble aimlessly.

"We'll be back before they get back and you might want to get some rest or something to eat, and it doesn't seem like we can do anything until we find out about Vageta and Trunks." About half way through his speech his voice seemed to grow steadily more and more desperate for the answers he couldn't seem to satisfy her with, all the while she would occasionally nod slightly or squint a little as though she were in deep thought.

"Well!" he finally asked, his voice raising enough to get both Piccolo and Bulma's attention.

Cassie jumped a little, startled by his sudden out burst.

"Huh?" was what she finally managed to utter.

She responded as she would have if she were in school, when she found herself day-dreaming and the teacher asked her a question she wasn't really all too ready for. His arms actually dropped with that, along with his mouth and his composure. His look was of total astonishment and complete disturbed disbelief. His mouth worked open and closed before he was finally able to find his voice.

"Do you want to come back with me to Master Roshi's for a few minutes or not!" he practically yelled, his voice not as harsh as it would've, if it hadn't been for the magnitude of the astonishment that still remained.

Both Piccolo and Bulma had a look of utter astonishment as they just witnessed Tien totally loose his composure over such a small matter. A sweat drop formed on both Piccolo and Tien as Bulma just slowly shook her head at Tien's sudden outburst. A startled look overtook Cassie, her face crimson and seemingly on the verge of tears. Her mouth trembled slightly as she tried to work up the courage to apologize, at seeing this Tien suddenly looked taken aback with himself and then finally his whole body relaxed, almost to the point of sagging slightly as all three eyes were cast to the ground in front of her feet. Before she could utter her apology, he spoke.

"I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you. Please forgive my rude behavior." He said in a soft tone.

The tears forming in Cassie's eyes seemed to disappear as she stood staring at Tien in utter astonishment. Piccolo seemed even more perturbed now than when Tien had his outburst. Bulma just looked on in growing curiosity as baby Trunks first patted her cheek and then looked into the direction she was staring, his little eyebrows lowered as he tried to concentrate on whatever was interesting enough to distract his mother from him. Cassie then began waving her hands quickly, a nervous smile on her face as she tried to reassure him.

"No, no! It's not your fault, if I wasn't such a numb-skull I would've figured out what exactly you were trying to ask me! I'm the one who should be sorry!" she cried out in a small voice.

Tien looked up to her with an inquisitive stare, as if not sure he knew what he was hearing was correct. Baby Trunks looked from them back to his mother, who was now wearing almost a loving smile. It was a look of admiration and a motherly knowing, almost pride. As if not knowing what to make of that, Trunks looked back at the commotion. Piccolo's expression also changed, but the look was of contemplation and only mild inquisition. Almost as if he was analyzing her. Tien continued to wear his look.

'Think of something quick, dummy!' Cassie thought to herself and then gave a warm smile as she threw her arms behind her back and leaned towards Tien slightly.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you could take me with you to visit Chi-Chi and check on Choutzu." She said, trying to choose her words the best she could.

A dull shade of pink lined the brim of Tien's nose and cheeks.

"Uh, sure. No problem." He said with a slight turn in the corner of his mouth and then turned to leave.

Before Cassie could decide on whether or not to follow him, he stopped and turned back to her. This time his cheeks were a little redder.

"You don't know how to fly, do you?" he asked as though he knew the answer, but was dreading the outcome, sort of a fool's last words.

All Cassie could do was slowly shake her head 'no'. Tien's face fell slightly and his face blushed crimson. Cassie's quickly duplicated his as he walked strait up to her and then stooped down to her, so they were face to face. Even though they were face to face he didn't look at her.

"Grab hold of my neck and I'll pick you up. I would just tell you to hold onto my back, but I'm afraid you might slip off without me knowing." He said, his voice had a slight crack in tone.

Her body suddenly seemed to weigh a thousand tons, moving seemed impossible for the time being.

'What are you waiting for? It's not like its Piccolo, or Vageta or even Goku for that matter. It's only Tien for goodness sakes!' a voice seemed to ask her.

'But, he's not wearing a shirt.' She thought her face burning hot now.

'Yeah, you used to find that repulsive, remember?' the voice came again.

'Yeah, but.' She thought, but as she knew she was stalling and that the position of Tien was becoming more and more difficult as she waited she then reached up without hesitation and put her arms around his neck, almost like she was hugging his neck.

When she first touched him, he seemed to tense all his muscles at once, but then something seemed to change rather quickly. It was as though he was reacting to an actual hug. His body relaxed as his arms slowly wrapped around her in a small embrace before he reached down and placing his arm behind her knees, picked her up as if she were an infant. He didn't look down at her as he turned and started walking towards the edge. Because she knew he wasn't watching her at all, she thought it was okay to close her eyes and prepare herself for the fall. Her teeth clenched and she felt herself tense as Tien jumped from the edge of the tower. There was that gut wrenching, plummeting feeling just before the slow jerk of the flying forward motion. She found her head buried into his neck as the wind whipped around her. Her face still burned and her head swam.

'This can't be right!' her mind screamed.

"It's okay. I'm not going to let you fall, you can relax now. It's getting a little uncomfortable to breath with you hanging on so tight." She felt his voice vibrate through his neck and chest, and trembling, she tried to release her grip a bit, but she absolutely refused to open her eyes.

'Please let us be there soon!' she thought as she felt as though her heart was going to burst.

Whew! How was that? I didn't mean for that chapter to end quite like that, I was kind of hoping for her to be getting in the chamber with someone before I ended the chapter, or end with a cliff-hanger, who's going to go in with her? Find out on the next chapter of Death of Dragonball Z! Something like she's going to ask 'who's with me?' and someone answer 'I'll do it.' And not tell you who that someone is until the next chapter. Well, it ran a little over, but here it is! And I know this one took a LONG time to write, but just look at it! Can you blame me? Really? Well, craziness comes and goes in my life, but it usually comes to stay and invites a few friends. Well, I'll be working on the next chapter and I'll try to post it asap, especially now that I've gotten it in my head, just how it's going to go, darn plot! Keeps changing on me! Oh well, I guess it keeps things interesting! ., until next time, Ja Ne! Usarea


	10. One Tiny Step

Disclaimer: Oh, the world of DBZ! I haven't visited this place in quite a while, as I'm pretty sure you all can tell quite well! I've definitely missed it, my adventures in trying to create my own little version of Dragonball Z I think they left out a little too much of the important drama, but who am I do decide the fate of this world that I create? Well, I write what I know and do my best to make up what I don't. I hope you enjoy the next chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for reading!

Television references "" Talking ''Thinking Telepathy (and Chapter brakes o.O)

Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Cassie's grip on Tien tightened a bit as she began to realize just how truly afraid she was. It was this irrational fear that came with falling, and what was worse, Cassie didn't dare opening her eyes to see what was actually going on around her.

Tien gave an uncertain grunt, as if he was choking back a comment, uncertain if that was what he was wanting to say and trying to disguise it as a tickle in his throat.

It was her ever tightening grip and her constant trembling that made him concerned that he might not be doing something right, but it was his uncertainty of the situation that made it so that he couldn't speak.

And just when she was on the verge of hyperventilating,

'He, he smells funny.' The thought popped up in her head.

The thought was so spontaneous and absurd that it threw her off guard.

'Eh, what!' her rational side asked in astonishment.

'No, really, he smells' the voice tried again, a little more confident, a little more sure of itself.

Cassie found herself unconsciously taking in a deep breath, concentrating on her sense of smell.

'What are you doing!' the logical part of her brain cried out in disbelief.

Suddenly her logical and her immediate part of her brain remerged at the point the smell hit the sensors. The smell was distinctly male, yet, it smelled of odd things, mainly spices.

'He, does smell rather odd.' The logical thought came.

'See! See! I was right!'

The smell was oddly familiar. Like tai seasoning. Sweet, but spicy. Spicy with the kind of hot that gave off physical heat. Indian? With the cool breeze that came with flying, it took some of the heated edge off the spicy scent and made it almost pleasant.

While her mind worked steadily at this one, odd, task of finding out why this smelled so familiar, her body began to relax. The distraction made her almost calm. It was the sudden jerk and dropping feeling that brought her back to reality. Subconsciously she resumed her clinging, but she accidentally found her nose pressed to Tien's neck. Her brain let off little fireworks of warning, but it was too late.

Tien then let her down slowly, guiding her feet to the ground, his hand still pressed to her back as she found it exceedingly difficult to regain her balance.

"Cassie! Is that you! Thank Kame, you're alright!" Chi-Chi's voice carried to where they were from Roshi's house.

Cassie tried to steady herself in the sand when she noticed Tien's hand had disappeared from her back. She looked up at him, but his eyes were fixed elsewhere, a look of uncomfortable uncertainty on his face. Cassie then turned to look at what he was staring, but before she could get a clear definition of what it was she found her face buried in cloth.

Chi-Chi had pulled her into a tight embrace and was ranting on and on about how 'That Place' was not where girls like Cassie should be. Some thing along the lines of 'delicate flowers and hardened battlefields'. Cassie couldn't hear much above the rustling of cloth and the constant speech without the use of breathing. At some point Chi-Chi dragged Cassie into the house. Cassie caught glimpses of Tien following.

Cassie's head was still swimming when she was at last seated on a couch in front of a coffee table. Cassie sat on the edge of the couch, her hands folded in her lap and her eyes closed. She teetered some, still trying to gather her bearings. She barely had time to react when Chi-Chi grabbed her shoulders and when Cassie opened her eyes, wide with shock, found Chi-Chi's face only inches from her own.

"Are you alright? It doesn't seem that you've heard a word I've said, you poor thing!" Chi-Chi cried, and then suddenly stood up strait.

"I know just the thing! How about I make you some nice, hot soup and you can tell me all about what has happened with my son and my hopeless husband, okay?" Chi-Chi said and without a moment's hesitation she shuffled off into the kitchen.

Cassie suddenly felt her heart sink and a sick feeling begin to wrench its way into her stomach.

'Why do I have the sudden feeling I really don't want a conversation with Chi-Chi over hot soup?' Cassie thought, the light-headedness from the flight turning into a different sort.

"Why, hello there pretty thing!" Roshi seemed to have appeared out of thin air right beside her.

"So nice to see you again!" he said laughing wildly.

Cassie jumped so far that she was practically on the other end of the couch climbing the edge and almost falling off. She suddenly felt dizzy and sick.

'I wonder if this is what you feel like after getting off of a plane.' She wondered, not wanting to think about Roshi.

She relaxed a little and gave a nervous smile.

"Oh, hi Master Roshi. You surprised me!" she said and then gave a small, twitchy laugh.

Roshi then laughed.

"Yeah! That's me! Always givin' a good surprise or two!" Roshi said laughing and rubbed the back of his bold head.

Cassie closed her eyes, they turned into little upside down 'u's as she gave another nervous laugh.

"Never mind the formal stuff, you can just call me," Roshi said and made an attempt to scoot closer to Cassie, when Choutzu jumped into the small space between them and was leaning over the back of the couch.

"Tien!" he cried out happily.

"Tien!" Roshi said in bewilderment, as though he thought Choutzu was trying to finish his sentence for him.

Roshi then turned and saw that Tien was standing behind the couch, his eyes were first intensively staring at Roshi, a slight glare there and then it quickly was diverted to Choutzu. His smile was very brief, but very warm towards Choutzu.

"I've come to bring you back with me." He said flat and to the point.

"Bring me back?" Choutzu asked.

"Yes, we've got to resume our training." Tien said.

Choutzu slouched some on the couch.

"Oh." Choutzu said with some disappointment in his squeaky voice.

Tien seemed slightly taken aback.

"You mean, you don't want to come back with me?" Tien asked, his voice a little too controlled.

Cassie turned a little to be able to look back and forth between Tien and Choutzu without craning her neck. Roshi just looked dumbfounded.

"No! That's not it at all! I'll go anywhere with you Tien!" Choutzu cried out.

"Good, then we should be leaving fairly soon." Tien said, the same expression on his face, but his eyes held some twinkle.

Choutzu laughed and nodded. He then twirled around in the seat and sat down between Roshi and Cassie.

"Did you hear that Master Roshi? Tien and I are going to be resuming our training!" Choutzu said happily.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard." Roshi said, disappointment in his voice, but not over the fact that Choutzu was leaving, but because of the fact that Choutzu was now sitting in between Roshi and Cassie.

"Don't worry! I'll come and visit you again!" Choutzu said, obliviously patting Roshi on the knee.

"Yeah, that's great." Roshi said and gave a disheartened sigh that resulted in the little puff-cloud of anxiety.

Choutzu then looked at Cassie. They looked at each other with the same oddly perplexed look, all blank if it hadn't been for an heir of curiosity.

"HI! My name is Choutzu! I saw you come in first, were you with Tien? What's your name? Where're you from? How do you know Tien?" several more questions came back to back, leaving Cassie unable to know what to do, her eyes turned into little black circles, her mouth was a little cat mouth as she scratched her head and said "um-um" a lot.

"That's enough Choutzu, she and I can explain it all on the trip back to Kame's tower." Tien said.

"You just hold on there one second MISTER! You're not taking this girl ANYWHERE till she's had some nice hot soup and has explained everything to me in COMPLETE DETAIL!" Chi-Chi yelled, suddenly appearing in the doorway of the kitchen and leaving everyone gaping at her, not daring to even move, let alone protest.

Thirty minutes later.

"Are you sure you don't want another bowl." Chi-Chi asked Cassie in a voice that was far beyond being exhausted.

"No, I'm so full! I couldn't eat another bite!" Cassie said as nicely as she could.

'If she asks one more time, I think I'll have to barf all over the table to show just how stuffed I am, even then she might not believe me. And flying afterwards,' just thinking about it made Cassie nauseous.

Little blue lines appeared on Cassie's face as it twisted into something with a horribly potential sickness, but Chi-Chi hardly took notice.

"What has my baby gotten himself involved with? I swear, my husband can be such an instigator, what will I do? What will I do? How, Gohan, my baby, my only sweet, sweet child," Chi-Chi cried softly.

Just went Cassie gratefully thought that Chi-Chi's attention was diverted somewhere far, far away from her, Chi-Chi snapped around grabbed Cassie's shoulders, giving her a slight jerk. Just enough to surprise Cassie into a disturbed frame of mind, the look it apparent on her face.

"And YOU! Practically a daughter, how could you possibly THINK of doing something so reckless!" Chi-Chi said to her.

Now Cassie was taken completely aback.

'Child? Daughter? Me? How, I, uh, oh boy,' Cassie thought, trying to sort everything out in her own head, that's when she caught a glimpse of Tien, with his arms crossed and standing as close to the door as possible.

Choutzu and Roshi seemed to be in conversation and every once and a while they'd through a comment at Tien, when Tien wouldn't respond the other would answer for him. Cassie caught him glancing up at her. He must've been doing it several times, but this time he quickly looked away, a slight blush to his cheeks.

"Um, Chi-Chi, I promise to do my best, I won't go overboard and I'll stop if something's too hard. I'm pretty sure Goku and Gohan will be back soon, you're probably going to be really busy getting ready to have them home for a while right? And Tien's," Cassie didn't get a chance to finish her sentence.

Chi-Chi let her go so abruptly that Cassie stumbled backwards some.

"OH MY GOODNESS! You're right! I need to get ready! Roshi! Take me home right this minute!" Chi-Chi called to him.

"Huh? Right now! But I just," Roshi was taking time to make a futile effort to resist Chi-Chi, and while he and she were doing that, Cassie took this time to walk to Tien.

Cassie walked to Tien, not daring to take her eyes off of Chi-Chi.

"Okay, it should be okay to leave now." She said looking back at Tien.

"Sorry that took so long, I wasn't sure what to do." Cassie said with a nervous smile and laugh.

He looked taken slightly aback then gave a slight smile of uncertainty, but a very friendly one none-the-less.

"I don't think anyone knows what to do when it involves that woman." Tien said as he gave slight chuckle afterwards.

This seemed to completely mystify Cassie, as if she were seeing Tien for the first time. When seeing this he seemed to understand and regain composure.

"We'd better get going, Goku and Gohan should be out of the chamber fairly soon. Choutzu!" he ended by calling Choutzu there.

"Coming!" Choutzu said and then ran to Tien's side.

Cassie looked back as Tien opened the door to step out. Chi-Chi was chucking things at Roshi to pack into her suitcase as he protested, but not too loudly. She then seemed to notice that Cassie was staring at them.

"Oh, don't worry dear! We'll see each other again shortly, don't you fret! Just be careful getting back! And I SWEAR, if anything, and I do many ANYTHING happens to my little Cassie-pie, I'll have your HEAD Tien, GOT IT!" Chi-Chi yelled at him, making him jump.

"Right," Tien said and then saw the glare and slight growl that came with it coming from Chi-Chi.

"I mean, Yes Ma'am!" Tien said, giving a slight bow, before taking Cassie's hand in his, as graceful as a dancer's and then proceeded to guide her out of the house.

'Cassie-pie?' Cassie thought, her mind wurled with such confusion that she let Tien guide her out, giving only an absent wave to Chi-Chi and Roshi as they left.

"Good." Was the last think they heard Chi-Chi say as they closed the door behind them.

Tien let her hand drop and gave a heavy sigh. Without any hesitation, Tien had picked up Cassie with a speed she couldn't react to and before she knew it she was cradled once again in Tien's arms.

"Common Choutzu, let's go." Tien said, his voice suddenly tired, but was forced into it's full luster.

Cassie kept looking at him in wonder.

'They each, have some false facade they all put on, and they only drop it when they're serious. Or is it, that this is the first time I actually noticed?' Cassie thought to herself.

Then she felt shame creep into her head, and with a frown and wavering eyes she looked down at her knees.

'I never noticed because I didn't want to. When I watched Dragonball for the first time, I thought Yamcha was cool, but I guess that was because I kept comparing him to normal people, because that was who he was up against, normal people. But then, I compared him with Goku and,' she thought to herself, feeling even worse then before.

'and, I compared him with Trunks and all other super-type people and found that he couldn't measure up to that, then I guess I didn't think he was so cool any more. And, now, I know them, I feel that was,' Cassie thought and then looked up at Tien.

'so very wrong of me.'

Just before she could think anything else, Tien took off into the air, leaving Cassie's figurative stomach grounded. As Cassie was plastered to Tien, she noticed that there was a chill in the air indicating that night was coming near.

During the whole flight back to Kame's, Choutzu kept asking her questions, and over the wind and her motion sickness, she tried to answer the best she could, though, she couldn't remember the answers all to well, and kept flubbing them up of from time to time. Then, finally, they landed.

Tien sat her wobbly feet on the ground and she then tried to steady herself. Choutzu helped as best as he could at steadying her.

"Cassie!" a distinct masculine voice said and she looked up in time to see Trunks running up to her.

"Trunks, uh, hi." Cassie said, desperately trying to focus.

"What in the world are you doing back here!" he asked.

Before she could answer, another voice intervened.

"It's because she's a stupid girl with a death wish, that's why." The gruff voice said.

Cassie turned to see Piccolo standing not too far from where they were standing. His arms were crossed and he was giving Cassie a stern side-ways glance. Now Cassie was sick to her stomach and with the heat rising, was sick and tired of other things as well.

'Why? WHY! Why can't he just leave me alone? It's not fair, he hasn't picked on anyone else like this!' Cassie thought as tears were threatening to form.

Her eyebrows were lowered and the look on her face was slight anger, confusion and a little of sadness. Her eyes wavered with emotion.

"For once, I think the green man's up to something, the little whelp must be suicidal." Another voice said.

With a quick turn of the head she then saw Vageta leaning on a building not too far away.

"Father?" Trunks said in an almost reprimanding tone.

"Well, it's the truth isn't it? She obviously doesn't have the ability fight off common air sickness, what in the world does she think she can do to help us? Especially since she can't even help herself?" Vageta said with an evil smirk and a slight chuckle.

Cassie stared at Vageta, realizing that the heat that was put there when Piccolo said something was rising so much that it pushed all the nauseous feelings right out the window, and she felt more than balanced.

'Before I knew it, I must've got these feelings for Vageta, these, rival feelings. I feel so angry right now towards him, but it's no anger, it's this determination to prove him wrong, to do better than him, is this what he feels like towards Goku?' Cassie thought as she let the heat she felt rise and rise.

The heat rose from her skin and lapped at it like the ebb and flow of hot water, but this hot water felt like it had tiny volts of electricity. Suddenly something came back to her.

Flashback

She looked down at her watch as the second hand made it's way around. She gave a glance back at the house she shared with her grandparents. The presence was almost ominous. She looked back up at the moon desperately. The seconds counting down in her head till they were no more. Her lungs filled with the cold night air before she put forth her sorrows into words.

"I wish to leave this place! I don't want to be here any more! All this pain and suffering! I want to be in the world were Goku and all the Z Fighters are! I want to be one of them! I want to fly! I want to be strong! I want to be fast! I want to fight! I want to be free! I don't want to be here any more!" she screamed into the heavens as she had done for four times past.

This year was different to her. This year she felt like she stood a chance. She felt like her dreams just might be realized this time. But as she stared into the sky she felt nothing was different. Tears welled in her eyes and then erupted onto her cheeks, down to her chin and onto her chest. Before more could come the harsh night winds came and swept the previous ones away.

Flashback End

'I wished, I wished to be strong, and to be fast, and to fly. I wished,' she thought to herself.

She looked down for a moment and just as Trunks looked about to reach out and touch her as sudden chill ripped its way through her body and all the heat that could be felt in her changed, into something different, something alive, like liquid lightening. Her whole body tingled and she could feel something trying to force its way out.

'Quick!' her logical brain said to her stupefied emotional side.

'Remember what Gohan did to train Vadel.' It said.

'Vadel?' the emotional side replied dumbly.

"Huh?" Trunks said, with his hand paused in midair above her shoulder, an inquisitive look took over his features.

'Yeah, put your hands together like this and,' its said as she absentmindedly rose her hands, placed them slightly apart from one another, curved her fingers like she was holding a ball and concentrated on pulling whatever it was she felt into a center in her hands.

The feeling pulsated then multiplied, then pulsated again. In her excitement she pushed harder, feeling more and more of it actually working.

"Um, Cassie, wha," but before Trunks could finish his sentence, there came a white glow in her hands.

This got the attention of everyone. Vageta looked over, a perplexed look on his face, the same look was on Piccolo and Tien's face. A look of shock was on Trunks' face and Choutzu had the look of a child watching fireworks.

Cassie concentrated some more, the tingling burned a little more then it did before, but since the light was growing, Cassie pushed herself even more. The light formed a small ball and the ball turned slightly blue and began to pulsate larger and larger, but before Cassie could push it even further the burning filling her body was becoming almost unbearable, milliseconds later, before she could react to the heat, she got light-head then numbness filled her body as she collapsed to her knees.

Trunks was suddenly there to catch her, shortly after she hit her knees she felt herself falling backwards. The light had turned into little bubbles of light and made vague popping noises as they disappeared from existence. Cassie then felt suddenly felt a chill flood her entire self.

Her breathing was fast and shallow as she shook all over. She looked up to see that Piccolo was looking over her, the look was shocked concern that quickly went into that of being irritated.

"Stupid girl." He said, his voice and look stern.

At first Vageta looked on in quite awe, or surprise, but then he quickly threw his head back and laughed. The laugh wasn't too kind, it was almost hysterically mocking.

"I was wrong! That girls got more than suicidal tendencies, she's down right psychotic!" Vageta said and laughed some more, as though he could barely contain himself.

Cassie drifted to sleep and heard nothing more than mumbling.

When she finally woke, she could hear Goku's voice loud and clear.

"Pass me another bowl!" he cried happily.

She slowly attempted to sit up. Her body ached, like she'd been working out far too much and had very little sleep. Muscles complained, but they felt toned some, like she'd really been working out. Her head swam, and pangs of pain pricked throughout her skull, like mini-brain-freezes dashing and leaping all through her brain. When she went to lift her arm, it felt as though it weighed a ton on top of the fact that it felt as though it was waking up from being asleep.

It took her a moment to realize that Trunks' coat was slipping off of her. When she was fully sitting up, at least the best she could, she then made an attempt to move her legs by drawing her knees up. She then realized that she was sitting on the steps near the time chamber and that everyone was seated not far from her, their backs turned to her. She slowly regained her basic functions and force herself into standing. The world suddenly tilted and she swayed, but she did manage to regain her balance by forcing her leg to turn lightly and by widening her stance.

Feeling cold, she wrapped Trunks' coat tighter around her and then forced to wobbly-walk her way attentively towards the others.

Goku was the first to look up and see her. He dropped his food and gave a dazzling smile.

"Cassie! You're finally awake! That's great!" he said suddenly standing and ran to her.

"Common! Common! Get something to eat! After doing what you did, it's important to get something in your stomach, or you could make yourself REALLY sick!" Goku said happily and then slowly guided her to the picnic spread.

After he sat her next to Gohan, he sat down next to her. Cassie was deliberately taking slow, deep breaths, almost amazed that she could do it all. Once she felt she was more pulled together, she gave a slow glance at Gohan. In return he gave her a sheepish smile and then began piling food onto a plate. Her attention then went to the food. She realized that she had trouble using quick focus, because it took a moment to see the food properly. That's when a wave of nausea hit her. She let out an involuntary groan. She then looked at Goku, who was stuffing his face.

"What you did was rather amazing, Cassie! Considering that was the first time and all! But you really did over do it a bit! Your body just wasn't up to the strain!" he said and then looked at her.

"You really should eat, I know it must be tough to try it so quickly after all that, but once you get used to it," Goku was saying then helped himself to another mouthful.

Goku then pointed at Gohan. Cassie turned to see that plate of food Gohan was piling up a minute ago was for her. Gohan then put the food in front of her. She twirled her fork in the food. To take her mind off of it she looked around and then back at Goku.

"Where's Vageta?" Cassie asked, noticing he wasn't there.

"Oh, Dad! He went off to train, he was kind of angry that he could only go into the time chamber two times before getting trapped in there for eternity." Trunks said staring down at his lap.

"Oh." Cassie said and then looked back at her food.

"Never mind him! Eat up! I mean it!" Goku said to Cassie.

She looked at him and he looked from her food to her before giving a big smile and nodding happily. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her stomach like it was full of rocks, hard, pointy, rocks. She swallowed, but it was dry and scratchy. She then picked up a fork full of food and her shaky hand hovered in front of her mouth for several moments. She then realized that everyone was watching her. Trunks, Gohan, Goku, Mr. Po-Po, and even Piccolo.

'Talk about being put on the spot, this is retarded.' Cassie thought and then shoved the food into her mouth.

Suddenly there came a response. A rush of a response. Like she hadn't eaten in a lifetime. Her stomach tightened and saliva became over abundant. It felt as it she'd never tasted food before. Sweet and sour, tingly soba noodles. Suddenly, she couldn't stop herself from eating, she had to try everything. Goku laughed heartily and then went back to his task of eating.

"Gohan, we'd better hurry, before she eats it all!" Goku said said happily.

Gohan gave a happy nod and dashed into the rest of the food. Cassie felt a rush of new energy and found herself back to what she considered normal. She was up to playing with Gohan, pretending to fight over certain foods and laughing and joking.

"What about you Trunks, are you thinking about going into the chamber again?" Goku asked him.

"Eh?" Trunks said looking up from his food, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Oh, no. I don't think it'll do me any good to go back in there." He said, with a slight blush and concentrated on his food.

"Well then, that's great!" Goku said happily as he sat down his eighteenth empty plate.

"Huh? Great Goku?" Trunks said bewildered.

"Yeah! Great! How about you going in with Cassie! Keep an eye on her, train her a bit! What do you say? Would you do it for me?" Goku said putting his hands on his knees and leaning a bit towards Trunks.

"EH!" Trunks proclaimed and leaned back from Goku.

Both Gohan and Piccolo gave him surprised looks and Cassie practically spat out her food.

"Huh!" Cassie said looking at Goku.

"Yep, Trunks will help you get strong Cassie, I'm almost positive of it!" Goku said happily.

'Why do I have a bad feeling about this!' Cassie asked herself, feeling faint once again.

TATAAAAAAAAA! Wow! It's been awhile, hasn't it! 3,4, no almost 5 months, right? WOW! Sorry about that, life defiantly has its twists and turns. A lot has happened. I've moved to another part of the state, quit my job and such. School, School, School, yup, I'm still in school. Well, I have my A.A. now, that's uber fun to tell people, and oh, the shocked looks that come with it! It's almost depressing. It's like they don't think someone like me should have a degree outside the one I got from passing the fifth grade. Oh, well, like I said, life's a little funny like that, pushing it a little further, I'm trying to become a better writer. I really wonder if I've improved. . Oh well, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and will have even more fun writing the last three! Yup, I'm going to try and sum it up in the last 3 Chapters! Wish me luck, things are definitely going to get very interesting. Until the next time! Ja Ne! Usarea.


	11. Chamber of Secrets

Disclaimer: Menow-menow-MENOWOW! Hey! I'm glad you've made it this far, some new comers and some dedicated fans or those who are just curious about how I'll end this story! I have no rights to really tamper with the beautiful work that the original author had in mind for the series, but I just gotta! Me being a fan of Dragonball Z and wanting to see the limits spread forth for all to see! –heavy breathing- yeah, well, I hope I can do it some justice. For all who are reading, will know that the count-down continues. Only two more chapters after this! Oh, I feel like crying! Will I put in a twist at the end or is it really going to END…? I just wanted to remind you that the Death of Dragonball Z is as the title suggests it Dragonball Z is going to die but is that necessarily a bad thing? Me being the biggest fan (in my own eyes) that I can think of eh, on with the story, right? Well, enjoy!

Television references "" Talking ''Thinking Telepathy (and Chapter brakes o.O)

Chapter 11

'I can't breath! I can't breath! Oh God help me! Someone! Oh please! I can't breath!' Cassie's mind screamed as she felt herself beginning to loose consciousness.

Cassie's head rested on the cold tile floor as she felt the pressure all around her threaten to grind her skull directly into it. The heat, it was unbearable and the air was so thick it felt as if she were trying to breath underwater. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes as her body rocked side to side as if she were going to fall. She tried to let out a scream, but all that came out was a choked gasp.

"Cassie! Cassie! Hold on! I knew it was a bad idea to bring you here! Cassie!" a familiar voice called to her, but it too seemed to be underwater.

'No! I mustn't move, if I move, if I should fall, then my ribs will break! I know it!' Cassie thought as she tried to swallow.

Sharp pains were coursing their way up and down and all throughout her spine.

'Oh God! It's going to give! My back's going to break!' Cassie thought.

"Cassie! I'm going to get you out of here right now!" the voice said.

'You coward! How could you! You've only just got here! Are you going to quit? Just like that! You're going to just give up!' her mind screamed to her.

'But, it hurts! It hurts so much! Just make it stop! Oh please, PLEASE! Make the hurting stop!'

"Common Cassie, lets go!" the voice sounded closer.

She suddenly felt pressure on her shoulder.

'I'm going to break!'

'I'm not giving up!'

"NOOOO! Don't touch me!" Cassie suddenly found her voice, loud and clear and very precise.

She gritted her teeth, her breathing still heavy, but her head was lifted a bit more from the floor as she did all she could to turn to look at the person next to her. Tears clouded her vision for a moment before streaming down her face. The form in front of her wavered for a moment before becoming clear. Trunks was kneeling in front of her, wearing his usual outfit. A black shirt tucked in or connected to black pants, separated by the belt that seemed to be built into the outfit. The pants tucked into strange strap-on boots, and wearing that denim jacket of his. A look of shock and concern was on his face. She was still clutching her stomach from when she walked that far into the chamber, just before she fell to her knees and almost cracked her skull on the cement tile of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber living quarters. Blood trickled down from the initial hit.

"Cassie, I don't think this is a good idea, even I had trouble when I first came in here, and I've undergone years of training before this. Cassie, we've got to get you out of here, it's for your own good." Trunks pleaded with her.

Cassie slowly managed to shake her head. The side to side motion making her nauseous, and the pressure on her head made it feel as though her neck might break. Though her breathing had slowed some.

"No, Trunks. I, just," Cassie then swallowed hard, it felt as if all her muscles were defying her at once.

"I just, need, to," she said and managed to look at him.

She gave a weak, wobbly smile and tried to give a laugh, but it came out choked and raspy.

"I need to get used to it, is all" she managed somewhat a full sentence, but it seemed to leave her out of breath as she tried hard to breath and keep from hitting the floor again.

Trunks gave her an uncertain look, one that said 'I'm not so sure about that'.

"Look, I can talk, sorta," she said, desperately trying to multitask the breathing, with the talking and the keeping-from-bashing-the-head-in.

"And my breathing's a lot better," she said wobbling a bit with the last word.

"And I can almost sit up," she said and gave a little heartier laugh as she wobbled a bit more, but Trunks reached out to steady her.

The look was a mixture concern and not-quite-convinced when she flinched under his hand.

"Just imagine, in only five minutes, what I can do in an hour?" she asked, breathing hard.

"At least let me help you to the bed." Trunks said with a sigh.

Cassie thought long and hard about that one.

'I would be nicer to work from the bed, instead of on the floor here.' She thought, then slowly pivoted her head over to look at the bed.

'It's just getting there that I worry about.' She thought as she attempted to pivot her head to look back at Trunks.

'Boy I feel retarded, he's moving around without a care in the world and I'm,' she thought as she looked at Trunks.

"How are you, going to?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Getting me over there, how?" Cassie was finding it harder to breathe the more she thought about it.

"Oh, I was just going to pick you up and lay you on the bed." He said moving into a crouch, both arms resting on each leg, hands dangling.

A look of fear crossed over her face at the thought of moving that far above the ground, at least, in that room.

"Is that wrong?" Trunks asked, his voice not hiding his surprise at her reaction.

'Oh heck, oh heck, o-heck!' her mind screamed.

"Uh, I don't know," she said uncertainly.

'Well, he could always drag me.' One side of her mind said.

'Heck no!' the other said and then came a mental image of Trunks dragging her across the floor by one of her arms, her body being dragged like dead weight, head drug over every little bump in the tile like it was rocky terrain.

She swallowed hard.

'Bad idea, than what?'

'You could drag yourself, you'd be more careful that way.'

Another mental image was of her slowly trying to make her way to the bed as the entire year passed by, Trunks doing all he needed to in the back grown in fast-forward and her slowly wasting away as she starved to death.

She suddenly felt lightheaded. She then swallowed hard and looked at Trunks.

'Guess I have no choice, I've got to trust him.' She thought and then gave a slight nod.

Understanding seemed to pass over his face as he gave a slight nod back. He then took off his jacket and tossed it absently to the side. He then carefully reached down and around, his forearm resting on her collar bone, his right hand holding her shoulder. Then with his left arm he leaned in so that his shoulder was touching hers. She tensed and waited for a jerk of some kind.

"Its okay, relax a little, trust me. I'm not going to hurt you, I swear it." He said in a coaxing tone that had a slight edge of pleading to it.

Slowly she relaxed, leaning in on his forearm. She gritted her teeth as she found it felt as if it were a cushioned steel bar, like the kind on those really cheep amusement park rides that hold you almost upside down several hundred feet up in the air.

"Now, I'm going to lean you back, but don't worry, I'll have your head and neck supported, okay? You ready?" he asked.

Cassie gave a quick breath inward and then did her best to nod.

"Remember to relax." He said.

She forced herself to relax as much as her body would allow. The world of white swirled by slowly as he laid her back, her head cupped between his shoulder and his bicep. Heat rose in her cheeks as she realized she had to completely depend on him for not only her safety, but her entire movement. She stared up at the blank ceiling, but realized that now that her torso was fully extended, it made it a whole lot easier to breath. Once she was balanced on his shoulder, he lowered himself down a bit to make it easier to reach under her knees to pick her up. She felt her head roll back and suddenly felt as if she were completely exposed. The heat in her cheeks flared up even more as she tried to swallow hard. As he slowly stood with her it felt as if her stomach was going to force itself out through her spine. She gave an involuntary moan as the nauseous-ness overcame her.

"Are you alright Cassie?" he asked looking down at her.

She could only look up at him with her eyes. She gave a weak smile.

"Yeah, just felt a little sick there." She said.

'This is a horrible ride! I wanna get off!' she thought as she swayed some in the mere motion of him walking her over to the bed.

The distraction though, was the soft breath she could feel on her neck as he carried her.

'You-dork-you-dork-you-DORK! Stop-it-stop-it-stop-it!' she yelled at herself mentally as she pushed whatever it was she was feeling out with a giant heave-ho.

Her eyes were held tightly shut as she felt herself being lowered to the bed. With her head on the pillow he did his best to gently move his arm from underneath her and make sure her legs were lying strait.

"There, how do you feel? Better?" he asked.

The bed felt strangely soft, almost as if she were lying on air. It was a relief beyond comparison. She lay there simply breathing for a moment. She then breathed in deeply and let it out slowly.

"Yeah, it feels much better." She said, her voice a content sigh.

"I guess compared to the floor, anything would be." He said with a slight smile and then sat down on the floor.

"Huh?" she asked, noticing that he was sitting down next to her.

"I'm not here for any training of my own; I'm here to help you. So, get some rest and then we'll see what we can do about getting you moving again." He said.

Cassie didn't remember closing her eyes, but she suddenly found herself dreaming.

The sun was warm and bright, it felt like spring. Cassie stood out in the middle of a large field filled with tall, golden grass that swayed and bent to a soft strong breeze. Cassie stood there in a white sun dress, holding on to a large, white, floppy sun hat that sat on her head. She was looking out at the rolling fields and the swaying trees. 'Am I, home?' she thought. "Cassie!" a voice called somewhere behind her. "Hey! Cassie! What are you doing out here? Don't you know we've got work to do? Mom's going to kill us!" the voice said as it got closer. Cassie turned to see a tall boy running towards her. 'Is that? No, but, what is he doing here?' Cassie thought to herself.

"Cassie? Cassie?" a voice was calling to her.

She slowly opened her eyes and remembered where she was. She turned her head and saw Trunks sitting by the bed Indian style. He looked completely serious.

"Trunks?" she asked.

"You've been asleep for days. If we don't get anything done soon, I can't see how you're going to learn anything in a year." He said.

Cassie then looked back at the ceiling.

'I've already forgotten who I saw in that dream. I was back at home, but, it wasn't right. Who ever it was, I felt like he should've been there.' Cassie thought.

"Yeah, I guess your right. I'm going to get started now and I won't give up until we've gotten somewhere." She said, then looked back at Trunks.

At first he seemed taken back by what she had said, then he gave her a curt nod. Cassie then took a deep breath and slowly lifted her arm. It felt as though it weighted at least twenty pounds.

'But it's not impossible to move.' She thought, lowering her arm to lift the other.

At first her movement was shaky, but the more she repeated the motion the smooth the action became. She then felt this sense of accomplishment, she even felt excited.

'Don't think about it, just do it!' she thought.

Then, with all her might, she tried to sit up. With a giant heave she almost made it. She was only a few inches from sitting up entirely. She gritted her teeth as her body wouldn't allow her to move any further, not even that one or two inches.

'My body, it's so cramped from just laying in bed those few days. I've got to,' she thought as she strained some more.

'I've got to,' she thought as she focused on her legs.

Her knees slowly rose as she dug her heals into the mattress.

'I've got to MOVE!' her mind screamed.

She had given an involuntary cry as she pushed herself beyond the two inches she was aiming for and collapsed forward, her arms resting on her thighs. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead and she was breathing heavily. She then looked over at Trunks, who didn't seem to know what to do. She then gave him a small smile and then dragged her feet off the bed so that she was now sitting on the edge of the bed. She then paused a moment to catcher breath.

'Just don't think about it.' She thought as she leaned forward, tried to find some sort of balance, and then attempted to stand.

'Its like wearing a hundred pounds on each shoulder!' she thought as she finally stood, her legs wobbling slightly, but her refusing to fall.

"Lets start by walking, and then we'll see what we can do from there. Sound good?" She asked him, her voice a wavering a bit.

He then stood up, gave a small smile and then nodded.

The first month and a half was dedicated entirely to just relearning how to do the simple things, to get her back to the free motion she was used to in the real world, (well, what was considered to be that in terms of the Z universe).

"I guess we'll start the real training tomorrow, huh?" Cassie said sitting down at the table that sat not too far from the bed.

"Yeah, I guess, that is if you feel you're up to it." Trunks said moving towards the kitchen area.

A kettle of tea had been brewing as they were testing Cassie's movement. He returned to the table, sat down a white mug in front of Cassie and then sat down across from her holding his own, navy blue mug. He closed his eyes, blew on the tea and then took a careful sip. Cassie then let out a content and almost happy sigh. This got Trunks to look up from his cup with a questioning look.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Oh, it's just that, it feels great to finally get the hang of this. I'm really glad I don't have to be too much of a burden to you any more." Cassie said happily and then took a sip.

"Don't mention it, you weren't a burden at all. I've actually enjoyed it." Trunks said looking down into his tea.

This got Cassie to look up at him. When he realized she was looking up at him, he stared at her for a moment. She then gave him a smile.

"Yeah, me too. I've really liked the past couple of weeks, you're actually a pretty swell guy." She said.

"Uh, thanks, but I don't know about all that." He said quickly looking down at his tea again, a small trace of red lined his cheeks and the brim of his nose.

The smile Cassie had softened.

'I don't know why, but, I'm really happy it was him that I had to partner up with. He's just so kind and patient. He was never this way on the show, I don't think. Or maybe it was that he had to be himself, or to himself, before he could act this way. Maybe it was because he was always under Vageta, and now that he's in a teaching role, he can really shine.' Cassie thought to herself as she took sips of her tea, every once and a while glancing up at Trunks.

She then realized something else.

'His hair has gotten longer since Bulma had cut it for him again. He looks a lot better with this look.' She thought.

Trunks' hair had grown past his ears and swayed some when ever he turned his head. Trunks then took notice that she was staring at him.

'His eyes, they're so blue. Was that because of Bulma? Yeah, I'm pretty sure Bulma's eyes are blue.' She was thinking.

Cassie didn't realize she was staring until she noticed Trunks had blinked several times repeatedly, a questioning look on his face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Uh, I was just noticing how blue your eyes were." Cassie stammered a bit.

'AHHH! You idiot! You just told him your thoughts! Just blurted it out! You can be such a dummy!' she thought, her face suddenly feeling hot.

She quickly raised the mug to hide her face. Trunks' suddenly had a surprised look, the red on his cheeks deepening.

'Oh, this is awkward.' Cassie thought, so she quickly sat down her mug.

But as she did so did he.

"How about we start on that training?" they said in unison.

They both smiled nervously. Cassie looked down and then back up at him. Trunks was standing.

"Yeah, how about we get started on some of the harder parts, and then we'll just work from there." He said walking over to where she was and then waited for her to stand.

The look seemed to be a mixture of something Cassie couldn't quite read. It was like he was forcing himself to go about like nothing happened.

'It's all for the best, cause nothing happened. Really, nothing at all.' Cassie thought as she pushed away whatever it was that transpired a minute ago.

"Yeah, sounds good to me! Let's get started!" Cassie said happily and stood.

She watched his back as he lead the way to the edge of the chamber. The denim jacket didn't come all the way down to the waist line, it just barely came down past the shoulder blades.

'He's got a small waist.' She thought absently before she realized what she was thinking.

'Oh no! That was wrong! Why would I be thinking about that?' she thought and then tried shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts.

But as she was trying to literally shake the thoughts from her head, Trunks had came to a stop and Cassie ran right into the back of him. Right after the collision she took almost a leap back.

'Oh gosh, what if I touched his butt! OH NO!' Cassie thought, her face so red that she could hardly see.

"I'm-so-sorry!" she said in one breath as if it were one word.

He only blinked at her as he turned towards her.

"Um, no problem." He said uncertainly and then looked into the void.

"Well, this is where things get rather, complicated. The further you go out, the more the gravity increases, but whatever ability you want to work on is more efficient the further you go out. We'll just work close by and then work our way further out." He said pointing out into the vastness of the chamber.

The motion brought her attention to his chest. There was a moving shadow, and that shadow actually was the separation between his shirt and his chest. Cassie forced herself to look out to where his finger was pointing.

'This is bad, this is really, really, bad!' she thought.

"Is this going to be a problem?" he asked.

She shook her head a little to rapidly.

"No, no, no! This isn't a problem at all! I have complete control of myself!" she said a little too loud.

An eyebrow went up. Cassie than slapped both her hands over her mouth at once. Her face so red her hair was practically steaming.

'What the heck! What was that! Oh, I really need to get a hold of myself!' Cassie thought.

"Well, yeah, I have no doubt about that. Well, lets get going." Trunks then turned after hesitating for a moment, not really sure what just happened and then casually walked off the first step and a few feet into the white space.

Cassie then took a deep breath and then nodded. She took a large step out, which was a mistake, because gravity quickly took hold and she fell to her knees. The pressure began to crash at her from all sides.

'It's, it's just like it was when I first came here!' she thought as she held her eyes shut and gritted her teeth.

But now her body knew what it was, it had became familiar with that feeling and she was able, with a good deal of effort, able to stand.

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to." Trunks said with a slight sympathetic smile.

She then managed to give a slight smile back.

"Now! To make this easier, you can pull the energy from inside you and expand it through out your body, then you can push it out against this force of gravity." Trunks said walking a little in front of her.

Cassie just kind of blinked at him for a moment. All that was missing was the word 'Huh?' written on her forehead.

"It shouldn't be too hard for you now, now that you've gotten used to moving around in the living space, your body should know its power by now." Trunks urged.

Cassie then looked down at her hands, but her focus was on what she was feeling. And sure enough, there it was, this trembling, bubbling energy in her. She felt warm, it was sort of an excited energy, and when she concentrated more on it, it spread. Soon if seemed to fill her whole body, with a little extra push she felt it seem to seep and radiate from her skin.

'Wow! This is it! I've never felt anything like it!' she thought happily as she pushed it even more.

Instead of feeling tired, like she did the first time, she felt energized. Even more surprising was that the more she pushed out, the lighter she felt, soon she was able to stand up-right. Her arms were spread out, a huge smile on her face as she looked to Trunks with excitement. He smiled sincerely, truly happy for her and yet there was an edge of pride.

"Alright! I think I'm ready! Really ready!" she said to him.

He then nodded.

"Lets start with the basics." He said and then lifted arm up into a ninety degree angle, his hand curled into a fist.

He faced his forearm towards her.

"I want you to kick me." He said calmly.

"Kick you?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes, we've got to work on the most basic maneuvers before we can move on to the more advanced." He said.

"Oh, I see, right!" she said with a quick nod.

She widened her stance and then went to kick. Her leg went up, but he had to lower his arm to catch it. It was her shin that connected. She dropped her leg, her shin throbbing. She blinked for a few minutes.

"Ow, ow, ow." She said crouching down and rubbing her shin.

"Now, what you did wrong was that you didn't aim properly and you didn't turn you foot for proper bracing. You're supposed to turn your bracing foot with a kick and you're supposed to make contact with the top of your foot." He explained.

She looked up at him, then stood up with renewed determination.

"Right, lets try that again." He said.

By the end of that day, she had expended her energy and had to be carried back on Trunks' back. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs were held by Trunks' arms. Her cheek was next to his ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Trunks. We didn't get much done today, did we?" she asked sadly.

"Don't be silly, we got a lot done, if you keep this up, we might see a really big change when we're done." Trunks said softly.

"But will it be enough? Enough to help the others against Cell?" she asked, a twang of pain her voice.

Trunks let out a soft gasp, as if he weren't prepared to answer that sort of question.

"Don't worry about it. Just take things a step at a time. We'll see what comes when it gets here, okay?" he asked.

"Mmmm, yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you, Trunks." She said and slowly drifted to sleep.

Trunks took her to the bed and laid her down. Without thinking he had pulled the covers over her and then found himself staring at her sleeping face. He then found himself touching her face lightly with his finger tips. When he finally realized this, he jerked his hand away.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself and then turned and walked off, determined to do something else.

Cassie was only half asleep.

'Trunks.' She thought as she went into a dream.

It was the same field, the same dress, the same wind and the same person calling to her again.

The days seemed to stretch on. Each day she grew a little stronger, each day she went a little further. Trunks was having to block a little quicker as her attacks became more proficient. Cassie found herself pushing him back more and more into the void of the chamber. The thrill of the challenge pushing her further. The days had long since passed when Trunks had to yell out instructions and various attacks.

It seemed to her as natural as breathing, and it came to the point when something inside her swelled and without thinking she grabbed it in her hands and threw it out at Trunks. It was an energy attack. The ball of light left her hands before she realized what it was, and Trunks barely had enough time to jump back and block. There was a small cloud of smoke and the smell of something burnt. She could only blink and then look down at her hands. Trunks looked up at her with equal surprise.

"Very good." He said, still a little stunned.

Cassie laughed happily and jumped up and down.

"Wow! This is so neat! I, I can't believe I could do that! It's almost like I can't believe I couldn't do it before!" she said happily.

"Well, it is pretty amazing how quick you seem to pick things up. You're really giving me a run for my money." He said just looking at her with a smile.

Suddenly a thought came to her.

"How about I try this one!" she said widening her stance.

"Huh?" Trunks asked, tilting his head to the side.

She then put her hands to the side in a classic Goku-stance.

"Uh, that wouldn't happen to be," he didn't finish before she started.

"Ka," she said concentrating hard, and with it came the familiar sound of humming as energy started to form a small ball in her hands.

"Me," she said, getting more excited.

"I don't think," Trunks said nerviously.

"Haaaa," she said, feeling it build more, pushing her hands out.

"Meeee," she said, not noticing that was trying to tell her something, as she felt the ball lock into place.

"HA!" she said and thrust the ball out in front of her, like she had seen Goku do a thousand times.

But, instead of the Kamehameha wave, there came a loud popping noise as the energy dispersed and a slight sizzle of smoke as she fell backward. Trunks quickly walked up to her as she lay there with huge swirls for eyes.

"Like I was saying, I don't think that was such a good idea." He said with a slight sigh and shook his head.

"Why not?" Cassie said, a slight waver to her voice, like she had just gotten off a really spiny ride.

"Because you used most of your energy to pull off the first attack, you didn't have enough to follow with another one, you dummy." He said, but there was amusement in his voice.

"Common, let's get you back, alright?" he said, his hands on his knees as he looked down at her.

'Trunks, you've changed so much. When did you start looking at me like that?' Cassie thought as she saw this unusual shine to his eyes and kindness to his smile.

"Uh, yeah, that's a good idea. We could start again in a couple of hours." She said as he then leaned down, let her wrap her arms around his neck and then picked her up, one arm on her back and one under her knees.

"Make that, tomorrow. We'll start again tomorrow." He said.

When he saw she looked slightly disappointed he gave a small laugh.

"Common! The only one who works more than you do when it comes to training, is my dad." He said laughing a little more.

She seemed a little taken aback by the smoothness of his conversation, and his openness.

"Trust me, the more rest you have, the more energy you'll have." He said as he lay her in the bed.

'Why is my heart pounding so hard?' Cassie suddenly thought as in one moment of him laying her down, their cheeks touched.

Suddenly she was reluctant to take her arms from around his neck. Trunks noticed this and turned to look at her. Their noses only a fraction of an inch apart. Both their cheeks grew red.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice wavering a bit.

Cassie then let her arms fall from around his neck, her suddenly very aware of what he looked like.

'He seems so real and yet, a little too perfect.' She thought, looking from the waver of his clear blue eyes, to the slight pink of his cheeks, to his well formed mouth, to the silky lavender hair that had grown lightly past his shoulders.

Suddenly she noticed his shoulders as well. They weren't too built, but they had more then enough definition to them. She found herself looking away.

"I'm sorry!" she said abruptly.

'No, this is wrong. It's so wrong!' she thought.

'I can't be thinking like that, we've still got a little over eight months together, if this gets complicated, if I can't,' she thought.

She then felt him sit on the bed, he then placed a hand on her knee.

"What is it? What's wrong? You haven't done anything that needs to be apologized for." Trunks asked, uncertainty was buried underneath the concern.

She then suddenly found herself with her arms around him, her head pressed against his chest. It took him by such surprise that for a moment he didn't move at all.

"Ca-Cassie?" he asked uncertainly and slightly surprised.

"I'm so, so, sorry! All this time! All this time, you've been helping me! I've been getting stronger! I'm so far from home and haven't felt anything like this at all! You've helped me so much, I don't think it'd be fair for me to ask for anything more! Oh Trunks! What should I do?" she cried, pain tearing through her heart as the first realization seemed to hit her like the first time she came into the chamber.

"Cassie? What is it? Tell me." Trunks said, finding himself more than concerned.

"Trunks, I," Cassie said, slowly trying to build herself up to say what she never thought she should say.

"I think," she said wavering a bit.

'What? You what! I can't believe this!' her mind seemed to say as she felt numb.

"Go on Cassie, you know you can tell me anything." Trunks said, finally relaxing some and even began to stroke her hair some, as if to try to calm her.

"I think I love you!" she called out, as if to make the greatest confession of her life.

Chapter End

Oops. Boy-oh-boy. Now ain't that a cliff-hanger! I do believe that was my best one yet! What do you think? Oh the questions it poses! Will he reject her, will their love grow? What will happen once DBZ is done for? Can they keep that kind of love, or is this girl going to have to mend a broken heart? Well, there's a little over eight months to go in the chamber, then there's the fight with Cell, so much to write in only two more chapters! Plus you can't forget the dramatic conclusion! I've already gotten the big idea for the plot twist at the end, so the last chapter's already thought out I know how it's going to end. Oh, yeah, and I'm working on the next chapter even as we speak, so it'll be posted even quicker then this one was! So don't worry! The next one is on the way! Ja Ne for now! Your pal, Usarea.


	12. Prelude to a Dream

Disclaimer: The last chapter was quite the cliffy, eh? Well, there's only 2 more to go! Yeah, my life's a lot like this, it seems to end on cliff hangers a lot. Like something profound happens and then I got to go home or something, and then I've got to wait until the next time I see them to finish whatever it was and there's all that time in between to mull it over and muddle in it and wallow, tossing and turning. Any way! You probably just want to get strait into the chapter right? Cassie just confessed her love. The little hottie Trunks has to respond? Eh? Right. You're are absolutely right if you think I'm trying to drag it out right now, but you'll probably skip right past my personal comments to get strait to the juicy stuff. I don't blame you, but I do ask of you one thing, and that's, ENJOY!

Television references "" Talking ''Thinking Telepathy (and Chapter brakes o.O)

Chapter 12"Is This Goodbye?"

Cassie hovered above the ground by about twelve feet. Her senses were completely open as she searched the chamber for at least a little sign of his presence.

'Darn it! How does he manage to hide in here? Where the heck does he go!' Cassie thought, feeling a little nervous about being so vulnerable to his attacks.

'Would I have imagined this happening three months ago?' Cassie thought to herself, imagining what had happened then.

FLASHBACK

She shook ever so slightly, trembling under his arms, waiting for the response.

'He was right, you are a dummy! You're such a dummy!' she thought, wanting to cry.

And yet, at the same time, she felt more relaxed than she'd ever been in her life. She could feel the warmth of his skin, she could smell the mixture of sweat and the smell of his cloths. She felt so at home she started to cry a little.

"I don't think, that's a good idea, I mean, I'm not exactly going to be able to stay, you'd only be getting hurt, when I left, I mean," Trunks said, his voice holding confusion and uncertainty.

She then found herself looking up at him, the need to know all over her face. She was so completely open, showing absolute trust in his judgment. It all seemed to happen in a moment. She was staring at his eyes, waiting for some kind of sign, barely noticing as they seemed to get closer as they slowly closed. Before she knew it, his lips where pressed lightly on hers. She let out a little gasp, which seemed to make him press her a little more. She found herself completely relaxed in his arms. His lips were warm and tingled slightly on hers.

'Is this,' she thought, but before the thought could finish,

FLASHBACK END

She felt a sudden burst of energy from behind her, breaking her out of her little moment.

'DUMMY!' she thought as she turned to the rapid approaching energy ball.

'Now for something new!' she thought as she raised her hand to it.

Concentrating her energy she managed to create a small force field shield more than a couple of feet from her hand. It was sufficient enough to properly block the attack and receive no damage from it. A thin trail of smoke shifted around her and she barely had enough time to sense the presence behind her.

"That's a neat new trick you've learned, too bad it was only a diversion." The voice said behind her.

"Yeah! Even niftier is how I can use it in back too!" she said pushing out her energy in amount to the back of her.

"AHH!" they cried out as they were pushed away.

She turned in time to see Trunks fall a little before catching himself.

"Not bad, you learned that one on your own? I'm impressed!" he said wiping the sweat off with the back of his jacket.

Cassie gave a huge smile, she closed her eyes for only a second, but when she looked back he was gone. She quickly looked around.

'Darn it! He vanished again!' she thought.

"What I'd like to know is what you were day-dreaming about." His voice came from behind her, but when she turned he wasn't there.

"Wh, what are you talking about?" Cassie said nerviously, her laugh a little edgy.

"Don't tell me you were day dreaming about me, where you?" he asked.

"Huh! What makes you think that?" she said raising her hands for an attack on the last place she heard the voice and felt his presence.

Once again she only found empty space.

"EH!" she said in surprise.

Suddenly two arms grabbed her from behind, her arms pinned down.

"You're truly hopeless, you know that Cassie?" he said lovingly into her ear as he cuddled his face to her neck.

She smiled, turning her cheek slightly so she could feel it on his face. She then reached up and touched his arms as they floated back down to the ground. She then turned to face him after they had touched down. He had both hands on her shoulders as she looked up at him. All she could do was smile.

"You're silly, you know that?" he asked, with a small laugh.

She smiled, then, on tip-toe gave him a quick peck on the lips, before he could move in closer she dodged under his arms and started trotting back to the living quarters.

"Common slow-poke, while we're taking a time out, let's eat!" she said happily.

"Are you saying food's more important than me right now!" he called to her.

She only turned slightly to giving him a happy vigorous nod.

"That's cruel, you know!" he called back, but there was laughter in his voice.

'Who would've thought it would have ended up like this!' Cassie thought as she ran to the bathroom area.

She studied herself in the mirror.

'Wow, I've gotten taller. And my hair's gotten long enough to braid.' She thought as she pulled the bread around to sit on her shoulder.

'Come to think of it, so has his.' She thought turning to see Trunks walk into the area of the kitchen.

"You're not going to be able to find food in there, if that's what you're after." Trunks said to her.

She walked out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny. You know I only wanted to wash up." She said coming up to stand next to him.

"And you didn't even do that much." He said smiling.

"Yeah, well, you distracted me." She said looking away.

"Both times today?" he seemed to be on the verge of laughing.

"Whatever!" she said moving towards the refrigerator.

"So? What's for lunch?" he asked standing behind her, waiting for her to open the fridge.

She opened it up and peered inside.

"Well, we could have sandwiches, but it seems as though we've finally managed to start running out of bread, this is the last loaf." Cassie said as she turned, a half-eaten loaf of bread in one hand and a jar of mayonnaise in the other.

"We're also running out of mayonnaise I see." Trunks said pointing at the almost empty jar.

Cassie gave a dramatic sigh and then walked over to the counter, as she did Trunks stuck his head in the fridge.

"I guess we still have plenty of preserve packs to go through, not sure how though, seeing how their mostly grains and dried vegetables." Cassie said, more muttering to herself than to Trunks.

"Oh well, it's not like we're going to starve! We just got to cut back a little on how much we eat. I think we've been eating a little more that what was necessary." Trunks said closing the fridge and walking up to stand next to Cassie.

"You especially." He said with a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Cassie said, pretending to be furious and doing a fake punch to his chest.

He gave a loving smile as he reached up and touched her fist. When her fist relaxed and she seemed perplexed, he held on to her hand, pulled it over his shoulder, bringing her closer and then kissed her deeply on the lips. After a few moments he pulled away, and touched her face. She smiled back and he turned her around and started nudging her towards the table.

"Here, you sit down and I'll make lunch, okay?" he asked, pulling out her seat for her.

With a slightly confused look she finally gave a small smile and nodded.

"Sure." She said and then watched as he walked back off into the kitchen.

With both elbows on the table she propped her chin in her hands.

'So much has happened, I can hardly believe it.' She thought staring at nothing in particular.

Something then occurred to her.

'But, what about the real world? What about grandma and grandpa? I, can't seem to remember them so well. I know that I'm only in a TV show, but, it feels a lot more real than home. Dragon, dragon, Dragonballs, yeah, that's what the mystical balls were called to summon the dragon, but the show, what was it called?' Cassie thought, her mind straining to remember, straining as though it were something vital.

Something hard then came in contact with her head.

"Ouch!" she said looking up to see Trunks had sat a plate on it.

"You're spacing out again." He said, a fake annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." She said with an awkward smile.

"Oh, like what?" he said, placing the plate down in front of her and then went and took the seat next to her.

"Nothing, nothing important." She said smiling and looking down at the food.

'I can't tell him, can I? That's he's just some cartoon character? And that it was more than him having to go back to his time, but me having to go back to my WORLD?' Cassie thought.

"Oh really, you seem to be still thinking about it. Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" he asked still looking at her.

"Well," her cheeks grew hot as she glanced from him to the food.

"It doesn't matter if you don't think it's important, I just like to know what you're thinking, I really would." He said reaching up and gently moving a few stray hairs from her face.

"Oh, don't worry about it! You startled me so much I can't even remember what it was that I was thinking!" she said with a slight laugh.

"Hum, okay. If you say so." He said with a slightly sad smile, but forced it more and turned to his plate.

"Wow! This looks really good!" she said happily and began to eat the sandwich off her plate.

"Yeah, it's amazing what you can do with leftovers." He said watching her eat before taking a bite for himself.

"We got leftovers?" Cassie said in awe.

With that Trunks began to laugh and with him Cassie joined in. After lunch they went and trained for the rest of the day. They trained to the point of exhaustion as they had done every day.

Cassie had taken a shower, dressed in her blue cotton pajamas, complete with large shirt and pants, and climbed into the bed. She lay awake, listening to the water fall as Trunks took a shower. She glanced over at the curtain, barely making out his figure. Her entire face grew hot has she looked quickly away.

'Why'd the shower have to be so close to the bed? And why aren't there some dividing walls?' Cassie thought.

'Well, there are usually only guys here, I doubt they really expected to have any girls here, but you'd think Mr. Po-Po could've had something set up, instead he just gave Trunks a sleeping bed and a pillow.' She thought and then turned towards the wall.

'Well, I guess that could've been for me, but Trunks insisted that I have the bed, even before we were going out.' Cassie thought.

She then heard the water stop running and the curtain open.

'I'm usually fast asleep at this time, but it seems I'm really getting the hang of this. So much so that I'm still a little fidgety afterwards. I guess I just need some more training each day.' She thought.

She then heard the footsteps of Trunks' bare feet on the tile as he neared the sleeping bag he had set up next to the bed. Then the footsteps stopped. Cassie couldn't help herself from rolling over to face him. There he stood, in dimmed blue light, his wet hair pulled dangling on his shoulders. He was wearing a large black tank top and dark blue shorts. He was looking at her in slight surprise.

"You're still awake? Usually you're dead to the world about this time." He said.

"Uh, yeah. Guess I'm still a bit fidgety." She said.

"Oh, well I guess we'll just have to train a bit more tomorrow." He said bending down and opening the sleeping bag so he could crawl in.

'Something doesn't feel right.' She thought and then edged her way to the end of the bed, so that she could peek over the edge.

Trunks lay with his arms behind his head. He then lowered one of his arms to look over at Cassie.

"Uh, yeah? What is it?" he asked.

"Well, isn't the floor uncomfortable?" she asked timidly.

"Huh? Um, no, not really, I've gotten used to it, especially when I was training with my father. He said 'Humph, beds are for sissies,' or something like that." Trunks said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Seemingly taken aback by the second asking, Trunks looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, unless," he said sitting up to look at her face to face.

"You want me to." He said somewhere in between a question and a statement.

Cassie pulled the covers slightly over her head, so that she was just peeking out of them.

"I guess I really didn't think about it until just now. That it didn't seem right that I sleep in the bed and you have to sleep on the floor." She said, her voice slightly muffled by the covers.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, you just get some sleep, okay?" he said with a smile, leaned up, kissed her on the forehead and then laid back down.

"Okay." She said uncertainly and then rolled back over.

The minutes seemed to drag out; she just didn't seem to want to go to sleep. She could hear Trunks' heavy breathing and every once and awhile when he rolled over, or turned. She turned several times before scooting to the edge again. Peeking over she saw him asleep, the sleeping back hung limply over his waist, one arm rested over his stomach as he head was turned slightly way from her.

'I guess, if he doesn't mind, it's okay.' She thought scooting back to the center of the bed.

She put an arm over her head and stared up at the ceiling for a while. She then felt pressure on the bed next to her. She turned to see Trunks, leaning towards her with both hands on the bed.

"You're still not asleep yet." He said in an almost tired tone.

She then quickly sat up.

"I'm sorry! I really don't know what's wrong with me! You're probably right! We probably just need to train more tomorrow! Yeah! That's it! More training! I should drift off any minute now! I promise!" she said waving her arms.

"No, don't worry about it. I was having a little trouble sleeping too." He said turning around and then sitting on the bed.

Cassie then moved out from under the covers and then crawled towards Trunks. He turned to her slightly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and then rested her cheek on his back, his hair still damp.

'I could really fall asleep like this. The one who makes me feel all safe and warm.' She thought happily.

"I could stay like this forever." She said wistfully.

"I've never felt like this before. I've never had time for a girlfriend, so I've never been out. It's always been just me, mom and Gohan. I don't even really know what to do, or say." Trunks said and reached up to touch Cassie's arm.

He then turned some to look at her. She only sat there looking up at him.

"It's all so awkward, I never really wanted to mess with it, in fact I've never really thought about it." he said, reaching up with one hand and cupping the side of her face.

'Oh Trunks.' She thought, loosing herself in the warmth of his hand.

"I don't even know if it feels right at times, not until I actually do it." He said and then reached up and gently grabbed both her shoulders.

"Not until I actually do it." He said pushing her back slowly on the bed, as he did he followed until he was hovering over her, his body almost touching, his tank top hanging down on her, his lips only an inch from hers.

Cassie's heart began to race, her whole body seemed to be on fire.

"And then, when I do, do it," he said, his lips just over hers.

"I have no regrets about doing it." He said and then kissed her.

When he finally let her go, he eased down beside her, pulling her with him, so that she rested on his chest.

"For some odd reason, I didn't feel I could sleep without you near me." Trunks said.

'I can hear his heart beating, and he's so warm, I could just,' she thought.

"Cassie?" he asked.

"Hmm?" was all she managed to reply.

"When this is over, and Cell is defeated, I want you to come back with me." He said carefully.

"Go back with you? To your time?" she asked.

"Yes. There, with my mother's blessing, I'd like to ask you to marry me." He said quietly.

Something seemed to grab at her, the pure shock left her speechless. With her hand over his heart and his hand over hers, it just felt so right.

'Married? To Trunks? I could stay with him? For the rest of my life?' she thought, her head swimming.

'But what about school? And my world? Have I left my body? Or is this me?' she thought.

"You don't have to answer now. You've got over five months to think about it. I'm not in a hurry." He said gripping her hand some.

"I'd love to." She said without thinking.

"Huh!" he said suddenly sitting up.

She had fallen to the bed and was looking up at him.

"I'd love to marry you! I do!" she said a little happier each time.

Trunks then laughed happily and then fell on her in a large embrace.

"You don't know just how happy you've just made me!" he said.

'Oh boy, what about Vageta though? How happy have a made him?' she thought.

She had a mental image of Vageta spitting off to the side. "Stupid boy, done gotten himself in as much trouble as his father. Damn shame, marring such a weak girl. I think she might be mentally retarded as well." Vageta would say. That was until Bulma would chase him down with a spatula. This image made Cassie smile.

She then looked up at Trunks smiling face.

'He seemed to methodical before, could I have really had this much influence on him?' Cassie thought.

From then on Trunks slept in the bed, Cassie always cuddled to his side. Three more months passed that way. Cassie sat down her cup and looked down at her shirt. There were holes beginning to form and the fabric itself seemed to be wearing thin.

'I wish I brought more cloths, but they don't seem to last to long in this kind of place.' She thought looking up at Trunks who was eating a piece of toast and reading from a book he had brought.

He looked up inquisitively.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how our cloths are worst for wear." She said then looked him over, realizing he had more tears and holes in cloths than she did.

"Pretty soon we'll have to walk around naked." She said.

"I wouldn't mind." He said absently, not looking up from the book.

"Oh, really?" she said throwing a damp napkin at him.

"Huh? Oh no! I didn't mean it like that!" he said and then looked up as though he were thinking about it.

"Humph. I'm going to go start training." She said getting up from the table and walking to the void.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Trunks said, woofing down the last of his toast and then running after her.

She took only a few steps into the void before flying off.

'I love this feeling! This feeling of absolute freedom! To think, not too long ago I was so scared. And now, it's like I could do anything!' she thought and then finally stopped when she couldn't feel Trunks any more.

She turned to find that she couldn't see the chamber room any more.

'How far have I flown?' she thought looking around.

She then floated down to the floor and began walking in a random direction that kind of felt like she was retracing where she had flown.

'Something feels odd, like I could build something here.' She thought, for some odd reason she had the picture of Vageta in flames, and Goku too.

'Where should I go from here? What should I do?' she thought.

"You should die!" a voice said from behind her.

She turned in time to see Cell flying at her. Without thinking she raised both hands and shot and energy blast at him, to which he dodged, simply by tilting his body some. Cassie didn't have a second chance to fire another round when he was suddenly on her. Cassie watched in slow motion as he punched her in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of her she was completely stunned.

"Stupid girl. What makes you think you belong here? What makes you possibly think that you could belong in a place like this! I'll be merciful and put you out of your misery!" he yelled, light erupted from fist and it sent Cassie flying backwards.

Cassie rolled several times on the ground, a hole torn open in the midriff of her shirt. Pain that felt kind of like a burn on her stomach.

"What's the matter? Not hot enough for you? Please allow me to heat it up for you then!" he said charging up another attach.

'No!' Cassie thought flying up.

"Ka, me, ha, me," she was saying before Cell appeared behind her.

"Too slow!" he cried and back handed her to the ground.

She skidded and rolled several times before she came to a stop.

'This can't be right, why is he here?' she thought as she tried to get up.

"You poor diluted creature, how simple minded you are. You all wreak with the stench of a disease. Every last one of you. Don't worry though, I am the cure for that disease." Cell said as he steadily approached her.

'How do I even know what he looks like!' Cassie thought, suddenly frightened.

"Now you and everyone you know, shall DIE!" he said, powering up for a finally attack.

"NOOOO!" Cassie yelled, this sudden void was in her very being, and like a black hole it rushed to be filled.

Energy rushed to the middle, condensed, concentrated, and then built. In a short moment all this happened at once and once it was filled, it ignited and then was let loose. Something in her seemed to change and with that she began to attach Cell with all she had, not holding back. That's when the image began to change, it wasn't Cell any more, but it was Trunks, and he'd gone Super-Saiyan. What's more is that it seemed like he was struggling to keep up. Cassie suddenly found herself just hovering in the air, looking at her now blonde haired, green-eyed fiancé.

"Cassie, what happened?" he asked, out of breath.

"I don't know, I thought I had gotten lost and then I saw Cell and he started attacking me and, I'm still not sure." She said looking away.

"Cell?" Trunks asked as he went back to normal.

"Yeah, Cell." She said looking up at him.

"How do you know what he even looks like?" he asked puzzled.

"I, I don't know. I just don't know." She said shaking some as she looked down at her hands.

'It seems like I've forgotten something really important.' She thought as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Common, let's get back, okay? Maybe all you need is a nap." He said.

Cassie only nodded and then followed.

'His voice, why haven't I ever noticed it before? It's so soothing, yet it's all rough around the edges, even when he's kidding.' She thought.

When they reached the room, she quickly touched down on the edge and walked strait over to the bed. There she sat and poked at the huge gapping hole in her shirt. A few minutes later Trunks came back with the first aid kit.

"How in the world did you manage that one?" he asked as he opened the lid and pulled out some cotton balls and hydrogen peroxide.

"So I guess that wasn't you than." Cassie said barely watching him.

"No, when I found you, you seemed to be surrounded by all this wind, and when you came out you just started attacking me." He said as he put the cotton ball over the opening of the peroxide bottle and tilted it some to allow the cotton to soak some of it up.

'Have I lost it? Did I do this to myself?' she thought as he dabbed the peroxide soaked cotton onto her semi-burnt skin.

"If Cell was there, it was produced from your own mind." He said putting down the first cotton ball and began preparing the next.

Cassie then sighed looking down at her lap, a shadow formed over her eyes, along with a series of blue lines.

"Um, no! I'm not saying you were hallucinating! It's just that in certain parts of the chamber, any heavy thoughts you have can materialize for training purposes. It was like the first time I was in here with my father and he conjured up all this radical flames. I couldn't go near him! But the flames were made by the will of his own mind, I think it was the same for you too." He said and then began putting ointment on her wounds.

"Oh," Cassie said.

'But that still doesn't explain how I know what he looks like.' She thought.

"There! All finished!" Trunks said closing the lid to the first aid and then stood.

"I'll be right back with your night shirt, that way you can just rest for the day." Trunks said and then left before she could protest.

Which was exactly what she was trying to do. She had her mouth open and her arm outreached and everything. She even made a small squeaking noise. Finally she just let her arm drop.

'But I was fighting Trunks, and Trunks had gone Super-Saiyan. The first time he's ever done that in here.' Cassie thought as she absently played with the singed, burnt area of cloth trimming the outside of the hole.

Some of it actually broke away into a little pile of cinders in her hand.

'Eek! I'm amazed I don't have a giant hole in me now!' Cassie thought.

"Here you go." Trunks said as he walked up to her, handing her the pajamas she usually wore.

"Um, thanks." She said placing them on the bed and standing.

"And before you do that." Trunks said as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

Cassie only blinked.

"Lift up your shirt." He said.

Cassie then dramatically crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, her face cartoon-icily red.

"No, Cassie, it's nothing like that, I just need to bandage you up before you put on any more cloths, that way, there's no chance of an infection." He said holding out the wrap of gauze in his hand.

"Oh." She said turning back towards him.

"For some reason you sound oddly disappointed." Trunks said almost flatly.

Cassie then only looked away, trying her best to look completely innocent. Trunks then gave a small chuckle and then dropped down to one knee and began to wrap her waist. With each wrap he had to make that involved him going around her back, his face came real close to her skin and she could feel his warm breath on her.

"Your breathing's kind of shaky, you okay?" he asked.

Every once and a while his arm would touch her side, in which would make her jump some.

"I'm not hurting you am I?" he asked looking up at her, that's when his head got caught on her shirt and ended up under it.

She was quick to pull the shirt back down, but he already seemed to be in shock.

"No, I'm okay, it's just that you were tickling me, that's all." Cassie said looking away, her face very much red at this point.

He stayed stunned for several moments, the gauze in his hand and him wide-eyed and blinking rapidly, the red apparent in his cheeks, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, as though he were expecting her to clobber him upside his head. While he was in that state, she carefully tore the gauze from the main spool, patted it down, so the adhesive would stick and allowed the shirt to fall back down. More charred pieces crumbled off and sprinkled the floor. Trunks only looked up at her as though he were trying to find the words to say. She then balled her hand up into a fist and then brought it down lightly on the top of his head.

"Eh?" he finally managed to say, the uncertain look wouldn't leave.

She then knelt down in front of him.

'I don't know, if what I'm doing is right, it's not till I do it,' she thought as she leaned over the knee that he was supporting himself with, her leg touching his inner thigh. He then dropped the roll of gauze, and met her half way with a kiss.

'But when I do, I have no regrets.' She thought as she drowned herself in that moment, in his arms strong embrace.

Soon there was only less than a month left, Cassie sat on the bed, her night cloths were the only ones to survive the harsh training. Her long blonde hair still damp from the shower, her eyelids drifting closed on their own, feeling as though they weighed a ton each.

"Trunks? What's taking so long?" she whined.

"Just a minute, I'll be right there." He said from somewhere in the pantry.

"Umkay." Cassie called back in a disappointed tone.

Cassie looked down at her pajama pants legs.

'I've grown so much they're starting to look like high-waters.' Cassie thought.

"Alright, this is what I've been looking for." He said walking in with two rectangular boxes, stacked on one another, the kind of boxes you usually see cloths in.

Cassie watched as he came in and sat on the bed, he then handed her a box.

"We'll be training in these for the last month." He said watching her.

She then attentively opened the box and peered inside. Lying in the box was a vest, to be more precise it was Saiyan armor. Beneath it was royal blue spandex. Cassie could only blink.

"And, they come with boots. Mom made them especially for us." He said pulling two pair of boot from under the bed.

'Do I have to?' was what she was thinking about asking, but the smile on his face made her change her mind.

She gave him a smile.

"Okay." She said.

He then took the box from her and put both boxes and the shoes under the bed. He then turned to her and just looked at her. This almost contented smile on his face, his eyes so soft to look at, and his hair had grown past his shoulders, bangs curtaining part of his face. She knew she was blushing; it was just something about the way he looked.

'Cassie, I'll be Cassie Brief.' With that she couldn't help but to share his smile.

"Well, soon to be Mrs. Brief, you ready for bed?" he asked, his voice seemed too innocent to mean anything else, but her blush deepened all the same.

She gave a slight nod after pulling her loose hair behind an ear. His smile then widened a touch, lighting up his eyes. She then climbed under the covers and he went and turned out all the lights before finally crawling into bed next to her. She then took her usual position under his arm and settled in.

'I wonder what it would be like, when ever we finally do something. So far we haven't done anything above snuggling and kissing. He's never pushed any further. And then, when we're married,' Cassie's thoughts suddenly began swirling, images blurred out do to mostly lack of imagination.

'My first time,' she thought, a twang of fear settled in her stomach.

'I think, it'd be his too.' She thought just as she drifted to sleep.

When she woke, Trunks was already up and dressed in the Saiyan armor. His hair pulled back into a pony tail. He was slipping on the gloves when she noticed she was watching him.

"What do you think? Neat, huh?" he asked.

She could only stare speechless.

'I know I've seen it a dozen times before. Especially on Vageta when I first arrived, but, it just seems so different now.' She thought, her eyes wide.

"You got one too. Hurry up and suit up! We don't have much time left, so we should get started as soon as possible." He said a hint of excitement in his voice.

Cassie blinked a few times before nodding. She then climbed out of bed and brought out the white box. She then opened it, laying out the armor first, and then the spandex, and then the gloves. She then held up the spandex. For the first time she realized it was just one whole piece.

'I guess you climb in through the neck.' She thought uncertainly.

She then stripped down to her bra and underwear and then peeked over her shoulder at Trunks, who was standing with his legs slightly apart in a familiar stance, arms crossed and looking away. A faint blush was on his cheeks.

'He's so cute!' she thought as she stretched out the neck and attempted to climb in.

She had it up to about her waist, when she fell over, landing square on her butt.

"Ouch!" she cried.

"You okay?" he said looking over.

He saw her sitting on the floor, spandex almost up to her waist, bra exposed, and her rubbing her rear. She looked up to see him frozen in place, his face scarlet and his mouth gapping. He then realized this and managed to look quickly away.

"I'm so sorry!" he said.

"It's okay. Pretty soon you'll be seeing a lot of me." She said quietly, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear.

The only sound to come from him was a loud gulping noise.

"I suppose you're right, but still," he said touching both his fingers together in a bashful manner.

After slipping the leg parts on and standing, it was much like putting on a bathing suit and was just as form fitting as one. She then went and put on the boots and then picked up the white and yellowish-orange vest armor. She playfully stretched out the waist part and found it slipped on a lot easier than it looked, it was almost like plastic, yet she knew it was much, much harder. After braiding her hair she pulled on the gloves and then turned to Trunks.

"Alright! I'm all ready!" she said happily.

He then turned to her, some of the blush still remaining, and his eyes widened some.

"Wow, it looks nice on you." He said with some surprise.

"Yeah, it doesn't feel too bad either, it's actually quite comfortable!" she said in amazement as she twisted and turned, noticing it seemed to flow with her movements.

She then walked up beside him, took the back of her hand and tapped him lightly on the arm.

"Well, let's go." She said, taking a few steps out and then flying off.

She knew he was following her, and after they got a ways out, she landed. When she touched down she heard him touch down not too far behind her.

"Before we get started, I want you to do me a favor." She said turning around to face him.

Slight surprise could be seen in his features.

"Huh? What kind of favor?" he asked.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd really," she said, finding herself looking down, her leg moved slightly out of nervousness.

"I would like you to go Super Saiyan." She said finally looking up.

The question seemed to throw him off some.

"Are you sure? This isn't easy, you know. I mean for me it's relatively easy to transform, but, are you sure you're ready?" he asked uncertainly.

She looked at him long and hard before she gave her clear nod.

"Alright. I'll do it." He said widening his stance.

She then braced her foot slightly to the back for more stability, just in case it seemed the least bit overwhelming. She suddenly found herself breathing a little too quickly. He then clinched his teeth as a wave of power flowed out from him, leaving him temporarily engulfed in yellow light.

The transformation from black to blonde, and from blue to green was almost instantaneous, almost as instantaneous as this hair spiking. The golden aura seemed to pulsate around him, as he had a concentrated stare on her. She then straitened herself, almost relaxing as she felt his power wash over her. It was warm and almost physical. She then found herself walking up to him. With each step the energy seemed a little more intense. Soon she was standing right in front of him. Looking up at his shining green eyes. A look of uncertainty was on his face as she found herself reaching up and lightly touching his hair. As she did, tiny sparks of electricity danced around her fingers.

'It still, feels soft, it's just all, STATIC-Y!' she thought smiling and poking at his hair some more.

"Will you cut that out?" he said with false irritation and slight amusement.

"It's just so static-y!" she said playfully.

"Uh, is this why," he began to ask almost disappointedly.

"No. I want to train like this, but first," she said seriously before wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her head on his chest.

"I wanted to see, and feel you like this." She said in a low tone.

'He's like solid steel under his armor.' She thought as he wrapped his arms around her.

A disturbing thought came to her mind.

'That's not all,' she thought as a cold shiver went down her spine.

She then looked up at him.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's do it." She said with a slight smile.

He smiled a little before going completely serious.

"Alright." He said pulling away from her.

'At least I don't have to worry about hurting him.' She thought with a smile.

'That means, I can turn it up a notch.' She thought, excitement starting to build.

"Ready?" she asked.

He then gave a quick nod.

"Alright!" she said happily as she widened her stance and concentrated.

Suddenly a whirl wind circled around her, lifting a cloud of smoke, before Trunks could respond she was directly above him with a huge ball of energy in her hands, pulled up over her head. The whirling mass was a dark blue, with a light blue halo swirling around it.

"Supernova!" she yelled and then thrust the ball at him.

He had a look of surprise before the ball hit him. Cassie only blinked as the cloud of smoke disappeared. When it did it revealed Trunks still standing there.

"Eek!" she said.

'Yup, he's just hunkie dorrie!' she thought to herself as she tried to think of another strategy.

Before she could though, he disappeared.

'Oh, heck.' She thought turning in time to see him appear behind her, that swish noise came right with it.

His hand suddenly came up and was aimed at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She seemed taken aback for a moment and then smiled. Then, she disappeared. She then reappeared behind him, kicking him in the back with her best kick, which surprisingly threw him off guard. As he was knocked down a few feet, when he turned she was gone again. She then appeared in front of him to do a double kick to his front, when he crossed his arms and flew into her, pinning her to the ground.

'It's getting harder, harder to fight him,' she thought as she gritted her teeth and gave him a look of absolute determination.

With that moment of puzzlement, she took both of her legs and most of her energy and kicked him away from her. He stumbled away from her.

'Harder and harder to fight him seriously, for fear, of hurting him in the least bit.' She thought, a slight pain in her chest.

She then brought her hands up to her head, fingers spread out.

"Final Flash!" she yelled, then a bright light irrupted form her forehead, causing everything to vanish in white light for a moment.

She then opened her eyes to see Trunks shielding his face, she than found this moment to attempt a tackle, which failed miserably.

'It's a lot like hitting a steal wall.' She thought as her brain seemed to rattle; small spirals appeared for eyes as she found herself falling backwards.

He then reached out and caught her before she could fall.

"Well, at least I gave it a good try." She said, her voice wavering comically.

Trunks than went to normal. His face full of concern, almost as if he were going to cry.

"Don't do that! Don't push yourself so hard!" he said and then quickly pulled her to his chest; his embrace seemed to engulf her.

Her chin rested on his shoulder as he buried his face in her neck.

"I don't know what'd I'd do if you really got hurt. I really don't." he said, his body seemed to shake.

"Trunks?" she said a bit stunned as she reached up and lightly embraced him back.

"Alright, I'll take it easy, but you've got to make it a bit harder for me, or else I'll never be ready." She said softly as she rubbed his back lightly.

"You've come so far, I'm more than amazed that you've made it this far, you should be too." He said moving his mouth a little closer to her ear.

His soft, warm breath on her ear almost made her melt in his arms.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. But, I'll still have to do my best, okay? Not too hard and not too soft, alright?" she said, moving her cheek a little on his neck.

"Sure. Sounds like a plan." He said with a small laugh.

Before they knew it, the day had arrived. The day when they were to walk out of the chamber for the first time in a year. With them both in Saiyan armor they made their way out. The soft pink glow showed that sunset wasn't too far behind. A slight breeze was in the air and Cassie suddenly felt free. Relief seemed to spread throughout her, as though she were holding out for this very moment. She gave a huge stretch and then looked around. There standing was Vageta, Bulma and baby Trunks not too far behind them with an air craft.

"Father?" Trunks asked uncertainly.

"Humph. Bulma insisted on coming to pick you up." Vageta said grumpily.

"Trunks!" Bulma called out as she ran to him and began looking him over.

"Mother, I'm fine, really!" Trunks said uncertainly, a faint blush to his cheeks.

"Why the stupid woman insisted on me coming along is beyond comprehension." Vageta mumbled the last part to himself.

"I heard that Vageta!" Bulma yelled and then continued to look over Trunks.

Vageta then looked directly at Cassie. She then suddenly became very much aware of the tears in the spandex and cracks in the armor. They stared each other in the face for a while.

"The look suits you girl." Vageta said gruffly.

Shock seemed to fill Cassie.

'Was, that, a complement! From VAGETA!' she thought.

"Not like it's going to do you any good though," he said looking away to where Trunks and Bulma were.

'Yeah, equivalent exchange, I suppose.' Cassie thought with a slight twitch.

Bulma than ran up to her next.

"Wow! You look pretty sharp there Cassie! Boy! And you've grown some too! You've defiantly became quite the woman since yesterday!" she said with a wink.

A look of complete disbelief crossed over Cassie and Trunks' face.

'I can't believe she just said that.' Cassie thought.

"Mother!" Trunks said exasperatedly.

"Oh, don't tell me! You and her," Bulma's voice trailed off, a hint of fake shock there.

"No Mother! It wasn't like that! We didn't," Trunks was saying.

"Oh give it a rest woman, they're not children! Stop pampering them! It's sickening!" Vageta said turning away in mild disgust.

"Geeze, Vageta, since when did you become such a wet-blanket?" Bulma asked, giving Vageta a flat stare.

"Ftt. I'm leaving this idiocy before it spreads." Vageta said and then flew off.

Bulma only stuck her tongue out at him and then turned back to Trunks.

"Well, never mind him, let's get back to the house and you can tell me all about what you two've been up to. Okay?" she said walking to the ship.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to fly there." Cassie said sheepishly.

Bulma then turned, a look of slight surprise and then she gave a smile.

"Sure! I guess I'll just be leading the way!" she said happily and then she looked at Trunks.

"And I suppose you're going to escort her there?" Bulma asked Trunks.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Trunks said with a smile.

Bulma then gave a knowing and loving smile before turning back to the ship.

"Alright, but no lagging behind. I'd hate to have to come back looking for you." She said strapping baby Trunks into the seat next to her and then climbing in herself.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Trunks said looking over at Cassie and smiling.

Cassie then smiled back. The pink faiding into red and a cool breeze. It seemed like the perfect setting.

"Alright you two! There's defiantly a lot to talk about when we get home!" Bulma said before closing the door and taking off.

"Common Cassie, let's go." He said, holding out his hand to her.

She then smiled and took it.

'This is going to be, interesting.' She thought, trying to fight off the knot growing in her stomach.

Chapter End

WELL! How's that! One chapter to go and then that's it! DBZ is done! I am done! It's kinda sad though, cuz I've been working on it for a little over three years. I betcha you're all wondering how it's gonna end, well, I'm not telling. I'm not. But it's going to be a twist. Whether you seen it coming or not, well, that's not my fault is it? I'll try not to have a predictable ending. I'm working on the last chapter now though it may not come out until next semester but I promise to have it posted, you know Story Complete and all. Well, it's a little over three o'clock in the morning, I think I will retire for now. So, good-night to all! Ja Ne, your friend, Usarea.


	13. Final Waking Moments

Disclaimer: For the love of DBZ! That's right! This is my own creation trying my best to stay within the guidelines of the character and tweaking them a bit due to the situation. It was the last chapter that I had trouble with Trunks? In love? What'd that be like? Well, I did my best, now, for the grand finally I'm going to try to do even better! This is the last! This is the end of all ends! DBZ ends right here and now! I'll do my best! ENJOY!

Television references "" Talking ''Thinking Telepathy (and Chapter brakes o.O)

Chapter 13"Home"

It was stepping to the very edge, the wind whipping around her.

It was her looking out into the vast skies with no fear, only awe and excitement.

'How could I have ever been afraid of this? It seems so childish of me now.' She thought as she looked out and then looked back.

Her hand was nestled snuggly in his. She felt a little blush as she smiled at him. It was obvious she was glad to be out of the chamber, and even happier to be spending it with him.

'Trunks.' She thought happily and squeezed his hand a little.

"Well? We just going to stand here? You know mother's going to be waiting for us to catch up." He said with a slightly nervous smile.

"Well, I think they're far enough away." She said looking out at the speck that was now Bulma's ship.

She looked back to see a slightly puzzled look on Trunks' face.

"I thought I'd be good to give them a head start before we passed them!" Cassie said with a little laugh.

Trunks only shook his head.

"Common." He said with a little tug on her arm.

'Here it goes! The moment I was waiting for and didn't even know it.' She thought as she took that first step off of the tower.

They gave a little wave goodbye to Dende and Mr. Po-Po before flying on.

Clouds were just below them and through the breaks Cassie could see the world below. It seemed so small and the air seemed so light. An excitement that Cassie never imagined swelled in her as she wanted to press on even more, wanting more than anything to do so much more. To dip and dive and run her hand across the water.

She gave a laugh as a tickling feeling went through her stomach. She pointed at various things and told Trunks what she could see. She went on variously about her first experiences in flying and how silly she felt now for feeling that way.

Trunks only smiled, every once and a while shaking his head at her.

They both waved as they passed Bulma's ship. Bulma stuck her head out of a window and yelled something, but it was carried off by the wind.

It took her a little while to realize that Trunks had let go of her hand and was speeding up some. She felt her stomach drop some as she lagged some behind him. She watched as he seemed to be looking for something. She barely noticed when she dropped below the clouds. Suddenly she could see the outskirts of a city.

'That looks familiar, but why?' Cassie thought, forgetting about Trunks altogether.

Cassie concentrated, causing a swirl of energy to surround her as she rocketed toward the city in a flash. That's when she saw it. A strange building with the logo of Capsule Corp on it.

'Trunks' home, but how do I know this?' she thought as she gently landed in the front yard.

"Cassie! Geeze! I thought I lost you!" Trunks said from high above her.

She turned slightly to see him land behind her.

"Why'd you take off like that?" he asked and then seemed to realize something else.

"Have you ever been here before?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, I don't think so." She said slightly confused.

Before Trunks could say any more the sound of Bulma's plane was heard as she pulled into the back of the building. Trunks looked at Cassie for a moment and then walked on around the house.

'What's going on! Why can't I remember anything?' Cassie thought as she felt something tighten in her chest.

She then quickened her pace to keep up with Trunks. The both walked around the building which was surrounded by a large wooden fence, to a small landing pad that led into a small garage. It seemed more like a workshop, as various tools and scraps of metal and old machine parts cluttered wooden work tables. In the very center was Bulma's small yellow ship. The door opened and Bulma stepped out.

"I can't believe you guys passed me! Geeze!" Bulma said as she walked around to the back of the plane and opened something that looked like the lid to the gas tank.

But instead of a knob to turn to open and put in gasoline, instead, it was a large red button. She pushed the button, after a click was heard, then came a burst of smoke and a loud popping noise. The ship had disappeared and in its place was a small off-white capsule with a yellow stripe. Bulma reached down and picked up the capsule. She then turned to Trunks and Cassie with an odd smile on her face.

"Well, I guess we can go in now, no sense just standing out here." Bulma said to Cassie and then paused a moment.

"Well? Common!" Bulma said grabbing Cassie's hand and pulling her along behind her.

"I want to hear all about it! What did you guys do for a whole year? I didn't get to thinking about it till later on yesterday, but by then I kinda figured it was too late!" Bulma rambled as she pulled Cassie up a small flight of stairs that lead into a small kitchen.

Trunks quietly followed, keeping an odd amount of distance. Bulma then looked back, past Cassie to Trunks as he slowly came in the door last.

"And you! You need a hair cut, I can't believe how fast your hair grows!" she said then looked back at Cassie.

"Your hair's grown too, I didn't notice cause you have it braided! OH! And you need a change of clothes, I'm sure you don't want to be wearing those all evening! Here, you sit here on the couch and I'll look for you something." Bulma said after she pulled Cassie into the living room.

The living room was a couple of steps down in what looked like a large den. There were three couches that surrounded a large television, and enough room to place a large table right in the middle. Cassie then sat down on one of the couches. There was an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. She knew Trunks was behind her, but he didn't move an inch, there was something foreboding about his presence.

"Hey, Trunks, you haven't said a single word since we got here, is everything, okay?" Cassie gave a desperate attempt to sound chipper and friendly, but there was an unmistakable waver in her voice, a nervous sort of pleading to make the silence come to an end.

"Cassie, I have to tell you something, something important." Trunks said in a voice that was low, it was the kind of tone someone would have just before giving them very bad news.

"What is it?" Cassie was afraid to turn, to see what he looked like.

'That's not the Trunks I know, he doesn't sound like this.' Cassie thought as she tried to turn to face him.

When she was finally facing him, he had his back to her.

"Cassie, when this is over, I'm going back." He said slowly, deliberately.

"Yeah, I know, it's important that you stop Cell in your time, but what," Cassie said encouragingly, but still the fear remained and before she could finish,

"I'm going back alone though." He said.

Cassie thought she might've heard a little choke in his voice at the last part, but it was drifted away by the silence that followed. She suddenly felt lightheaded.

"But Trunks, I don't understand, why," she felt her voice breaking along with her heart.

"I'm sorry Cassie, but you have no place in my future." He said turning his face some towards her, his eyes covered in shadow.

"To be more accurate, my future has no place for you, I see that now." There was a definite waver to his voice before he turned and walked to a pair of glass doors, he opened them to a porch and looked as though he were going to fly off.

"NO! No you will not leave!" Cassie was suddenly full of rage and sorrow, but all she could think of was doing what she felt to be right.

Cassie leapt off of the couch, jumped over the table and other couch and stood directly behind him. He then made a motion to leave and she ran out in front of him, arms held out wide. A look of complete surprise was on his face, and a little sorrow that kind of looked like pity.

"I can't stay here." He said flatly.

"You can't stay here because I'm here right!" Cassie asked.

He was taken even more aback by her sudden outburst. She hadn't even noticed that Bulma had walked into the room.

"This is your home! If anyone doesn't belong here it's ME! So you dumped me! Big deal! That doesn't mean you have to leave! Stay here! I'm going!" tears swelled and fell from her cheeks at that point.

Sobs wanted to come out so badly that her body practically shook. She then spun on her heal.

"If anything has taught me in the year we spent together, that's to trust you. And if you say there's no place for me in your future, then there truly isn't." Cassie said and slowly drifted up.

After about twelve feet into the air she turned back to give one last look. Trunks was standing on the balcony, a sad, almost hurt look on his face, but he made no motion to move. She forced a smile and a wave and then she sped off with all her might. The wind forced her tears to dry faster then they could fall.

'Dummy! You went and hurt him before you left! DUMMY!' she thought as she flew even faster.

It began to rain as she flew over a fur tree forest. Darkness was setting in as the last of the sun's rays died into night, she suddenly found herself wanting to walk. The rain came down in a constant drizzle, soaking the spandex fabric of the suit and seeping in where there were tears in the cloth. With the boots wearing thin in some places it still managed to keep out much of the moisture, but water was seeping in through the top of the boots and the gloves. She didn't seem to mind as she walked through the woods.

'If it's the right thing, then, why does it hurt so much?' she thought as she continued walking.

'I can't, I can't even remember where it is that I'm from. My name is Cassie, Cassie what? I have a last name, but what is it? Who are my parents? Who was I before I came here? Was my mother Goku's childhood friend? No, that doesn't sound right. How do I know them? All about them? How do I feel what's going to happen next?' Cassie thought as she continued walking aimlessly.

Before she knew it she was standing at the edge of a cliff, only vaguely aware of someone standing not to far behind her. She stared off into the dark void that seemed to suck in the swirling drops of rain.

'My heart.' She thought.

"I felt a strange energy in the air and decided to follow it. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was you." The mildly gruff voice said from behind her.

She turned slightly towards the voice. Rain poring down her sorrowfully slackened face like the multitude of tears that would find their way out. There, standing not to far from her he stood, arms crossed and cape tugged violently to the side by the wind, was Piccolo. Only a faint look of recognition managed to creep in. Piccolo frowned slightly.

"What happened?" he asked.

Cassie was surprised by his frankness and cast her eyes to the ground.

"I, just wasn't, good enough, I think, or else he wouldn't have," Cassie said in a faint voice, a voice that seemed to still be in a state of shock.

"Who wouldn't have done what?" Piccolo pressed.

"Trunks, he said I wasn't, that his future had no place for me." She said turning a bit as if she wanted to head towards the edge of the cliff.

"What? You mean you and Trunks," Piccolo sounded surprised by a moment, but then he seemed to consider it a moment.

"I see, it's clear why he chose this, it was a very sound decision he made." Piccolo said finally, in a calm clear tone.

Cassie turned to him abruptly, her face eager and full of pain.

"Why? Why is it a sound decision?" she asked, finding herself moving closer to him.

"His time is set in a post-apocalyptic world, there's only death and devastation to be found. There isn't a very bright future for anyone who lives in that time, that's why he said his future had no place for you. How do you think you'd get by in a place like that? Think about it. You're much better off letting him leave. It'd be much better, for the both of you." He said, his voice ending on an almost thoughtful tone.

As his words sunk in, she too sunk to her knees. She then hid her face in her hands and began to cry. Her shoulders shook violently with each sob. Slowly everything slowly faded into black.

When she finally awoke she was lying underneath covers on a bed.

"Poor girl, I can't even imagine what she's going through right now." A familiar female voice said.

Cassie's eyes burned and her whole body ached.

"I definitely didn't see this coming Chi-Chi, man. To think they'd get together why they were in the chamber and then, even more unbelievable, is for Trunks just to abandon her like that, I wonder what the heck he could be thinking." Another female voice said.

Cassie turned her head and let her cheek rest on the cool fabric of the pillow.

'Bulma, why is she here? And Chi-Chi, how did I?' Cassie thought and then allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. The desk, the posters of the character from Dr. Slump, the text books neatly stacked in various parts of the room, all these were a dead give-away that she was in Gohan's room.

"You mean he won't talk to you about it, at all!" Chi-Chi said her voice rising.

"Not a thing! He doesn't even say anything when we're working on that android Goku gave me to fix. He's all quiet and doesn't really say much of anything! It's really starting to worry me Chi-Chi. I just want to know what's going on in that thick skull of his. I swear, he's acting just like his father!" Bulma huffed.

"Well, it seems sons have the tendency to be a lot like their fathers, I should know that for a fact." Chi-Chi said with a heavy sigh.

The sound of a door swinging open and banging on the wall could be heard.

"I'm home Mom! Look what we caught!" Gohan cried happily.

"Ahhh! Take that fish outside right this instant! You know that's far too big to bring in the house!" Chi-Chi cried.

"Aw common Mom! It's not all that big! Just look at the one Dad caught!" Gohan said laughing.

"Lookie! Lookie Chi-Chi! I've caught a big one! We don't have to worry about what to eat tonight that's for sure!" Goku said laughing.

"GOKU!"

"Eek!"

"I'm goin', I'm goin', there's no reason to get violent! Ahh!"

"Out-out-out-out-OUT!"

Then there came the shuffling of feet, flopping noises, the sounds of something metal being tossed around or dropped and then running. There was even the small sound of Bulma chuckling to herself when the door finally closed. There was the sound of the chair scrapping across the floor and footsteps coming to the door. Then came a soft rapping.

"Cassie? You wake?" she whispered.

"Huh? Uh-huh." Was all Cassie managed to reply.

"Is it okay if I come in?" she asked after a short pause.

"Yeah, sure." Cassie said pulling herself up into a sitting position.

The door then opened and Bulma walked in. All Cassie could do was stare at the covers bundled in her lap. Bulma then walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it? What happened I mean. It's okay if you don't." Bulma said looking at her.

"I can't remember." Cassie said in still, soft voice that cracked slightly with dull emotion.

Bulma looked taken slightly aback.

"Can't remember what?" Bulma asked.

"I can't remember," Cassie said, tears began to well up and stream from her dull, unfocused eyes.

"who I am, where I'm from, why I'm here. I can't remember any of it." Cassie said her voice still as dull and as lifeless as her eyes.

"What? What do you mean? You can't remember ANYTHING!" Bulma asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

"No, I can remember some things, I just can't remember anything about myself. Before I came here." Cassie said looking to Bulma, the tears still streaming, eyes unfocused the look of someone afraid they've done something unforgivable.

"Oh Cassie! You poor thing!" Bulma suddenly pulled Cassie into an embrace.

"It's gone, it's all gone. I don't even know why I'm here." Cassie said.

Bulma then pulled away.

"That's not true at all! Aren't you here because you want to be here? Isn't this were you belong? Right here with all of us?" Bulma said, putting her hands on either side of Cassie's face.

Some light and luster began to come back to Cassie's eyes.

"But, Trunks," Cassie began to say.

"Never mind him, right now, you need to concentrate on you and what you need." Bulma said.

"What I need?" Cassie asked, slightly bewildered.

"Yup! And what you need is a vacation!" Bulma said with such happiness it was a step away from being aggressive.

"A vacation?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah! And this is just the place to do it! Right here at the Sons! I'm sure they'd be more than glad to take you in!" Bulma said happily.

"She's right you know, we'd more than gladly keep you here with us as long as you like." Chi-chi said from the door way.

They both looked at the door in surprise. Bulma looked back at Cassie with a large smile on her face.

"See? I was right, wasn't I?" Bulma said.

New tears began to form and run down her cheeks as Cassie smiled brightly and nodded.

"Thank you! Thank you so very much!" Cassie said whipping away her tears.

There then came a crash from outside and random frantic yelling.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a husband to kill." Chi-Chi said with a twitching smile and turned to leave.

At that Bulma and Cassie couldn't help but to laugh.

That night Cassie and Bulma helped prepare dinner and they all sat around, eating, laughing and carrying on as if there wasn't a care in the world. As the night drew on, Bulma eventually left for home, bidding everyone a good night. Cassie watched on for only a moment as she left, a dull ache in her chest.

'I remember falling.' She thought.

'I fell from somewhere and landed on Goku's unconscious body, but from where? From where did I fall? Am I some kind of angel, or transitional being from another world or plain?' Cassie thought, her mind swimming with possibilities.

"Hey, Cassie? You alright?" a voice said.

She looked across the table to see Goku staring at her, a look of concern on his face. She then gave him a smile and a brisk nod.

"Guess I just kind of spaced out there for a moment." She said with a slight laugh.

Goku gave a puzzled look and then seemed to space out for a moment too. Cassie's eyes narrowed and her mouth was slightly open, a comical look of uncertain disbelief. Suddenly Goku snapped out of it with a slight giggle-ish laugh.

"Yeah, I can see that happening." He said laughing.

Cassie's mouth dropped open.

'Did he just make fun of me!' Cassie thought.

"It's not nice to make fun of people Goku, you should know better." Chi-Chi grunted as she began picking up dishes.

"Aw, common Chi-Chi, I was only kidding." Goku said while laughing and scratching the back of his head with slight nervousness.

"Hmm…" was the only reply she gave to that.

"Well, we'd better head to bed, busy day tomorrow and all." Goku said getting up from the table and stretching, a satisfied smile on his face from a meal well eaten.

Gohan then gave a yawn.

"Yeah, I'd better head to bed to. I'm so full I could sleep for a week." Gohan said getting up and walking out of the room.

Cassie felt the blood rushing throughout her body, something restless gnawing at the back of her mind. She then stood and pushed her chair back under the table.

'I can't sleep, not just yet, I'm not tired.' Cassie thought.

"I think I'll go for a little walk." Cassie said.

"Oh no you don't young lady! Not at this time of night! No telling what's crawling and prowling around out there now! You'll stay in doors till tomorrow!" Chi-Chi yelled from the kitchen.

Cassie's face fell in disbelief.

'I'm pretty sure I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, the only thing that would worry me is if Cell himself decided to pay me a visit, and I doubt that he'd bother with waiting for me to just leave the house.' Cassie thought with a frown.

"Hey, don't worry about it Chi-Chi, I think I'll take a small walk to help digest my food before bed. You know how I get if I eat too close to bed time, right?" Goku called to Chi-Chi.

A slight growl from Chi-Chi could be heard in the kitchen.

"Oh, alright! As long as you're with her, I guess so, but don't stay out too long. Just a quick walk! You understand!" Chi-Chi said peeking around the corner, a glare in her eyes and a dirty ladle in her hand held tight as if she were going to use it as a weapon.

Both Goku and Cassie gave a nervous smile and nodded vigerously.

"Good." She said and then went back to her cleaning.

Both Goku and Cassie gave a small sigh and headed to the door. The night air was brisk and cool and the moonlight made everything seem bathed in blue. Even the two that strolled from the woods to the clearing leading to the lake.

"What's on your mind Cassie? Something seems to be eating at you." Goku said as soon as they stopped at the shore of the lake.

"Goku, I told you everything that happened to me before I came here, right?" Cassie asked uncertainly.

'Then why is that the only hazy memory I have of this place?' Cassie thought to herself as she tried recalling the conversation she had with Goku and only getting back mumbling.

"Huh? Yeah, why?" Goku said puzzled.

"I can't, I can't remember it, that's why." Cassie said as she picked up a rock and lobbed it across the lake.

"Huh! What do you mean you don't remember!" Goku asked in disbelief.

"Where I come from, why I'm here, how I got here, I can't remember any of it. Even when I try to remember the conversation that we had about it. I remember telling you the whole story, but I can't remember what was said." Cassie said looking out at the lake, her eyes wavering slightly as if she wanted to cry.

Goku only looked on at her with pity and disbelief as to what he was hearing.

"You mean, you can't remember anything? Your home? Family? Nothing?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, I can't remember anything." Cassie said turning her head slightly to look at him, the light of the moon reflecting in her eyes.

"I see, well, why don't I tell you some of what I remember and see if that unplugs anything, how bout that?" Goku said with a smile.

Cassie smiled faintly back.

"Yeah, thanks." Cassie said.

Goku spent almost an hour trying to recall what she had said. The whole time he fumbled, reversed, revised and re-edited everything he could recall from the story. The whole time Cassie only looked more and more confused and distraught. Every once and a while she'd try to nod or encourage him to continue, but it only seemed to be hurting her head and confusing her further. By the time he was done she was crouching on the ground, her hands over her ears and blue lines streaking her face and outline of her body. Little wispy clouds danced around her in despair and a gong could be heard in the distance.

"Well, did that help?" Goku asked with an uncertain smile.

Cassie looked up, her hands slowly edging away from her ears, a tired look her eyes, blue lines on her face and a look of utter and horrible disbelief. After a moments pause she shook her head slowly.

"What! Not at all! That was everything you told me! Or, at least, what I remember of it," Goku crossed him arms and looked off for a moment before snatching his attention back at her.

"NOTHING!" he asked in wonder.

She shook her head again, only this time she just seemed a little disappointed.

"Nope, nothing." She said slowly standing and wiping the dirt off her pants.

"Hum, that's odd. Oh well, I'm sure it'll come back to you eventually, for now we know one thing's for certain!" Goku said happily.

"Eh? And what's that?" she asked.

"You're family! And while you're here you can stay as long as you want!" Goku said happily.

Cassie smiled, for once she felt all her doubts and anxieties just fade away. This deep admiration filled her as she looked at Goku's smiling face and a calm washed over her.

'Yeah. This is my home, why else would I feel this way? Why else would that story just make no sense, unless,' Cassie thought as she looked deeper into Goku's face.

Her eye gave a slight twitch.

'I sure hope that's not the case,' she thought again.

The days wore on into the final day when they all had to meet in the ring. Flying there was enough stress in itself, the tension was so high. She flew right next to Goku the whole time.

"Relax Cassie! Everything's going to be fine! You'll see!" Goku said to her.

'He's been like this the whole time, it's like he has some secret strategy or something.' Cassie thought, only blinking at Goku and giving an uneasy smile.

'What does he know that the rest of us don't? I've been trying to get it out of him for the past week!' Cassie thought and then realized that the same thought must be going through Gohan's head as well, because he had the same look of wonder on his face.

Landing next to the arena, everything seemed to take forever. A loud man with an afro walked up to Cell, ranting about something and a helicopter showed up, but the whole time Cassie's mind seemed to not focus on everything at all, like a dark cloud had entered her mind and made everything around her hazy. Even through the fight with the loud man's underlings and then the loud man himself, all being defeated by Cell, one by one.

It cleared only a little as Goku took his turn to fight.

'I've got to focus! This is important! Damn it! Focus!' she screamed at herself, but it didn't lessen the dull throb in her head.

She hadn't realized how bad it was till Gohan tried talking to her, it was as if he was trying to speak to her under water and she couldn't understand what he was saying. Then Piccolo turned her to him and she couldn't hear him at all. She squinted at him because he was starting to fade, and with a tilt, the whole world turned black.

She found herself in a strange room, something that felt as though it should feel familiar. She sat on the carpeted floor, in the dark, in front of a television screen. On the screen was something showing, she leaned in closer. It was Goku, as a Super Siayan, his fingers to his forehead and his hand on what looked like a bloated ball of Cell, bloated so much it seemed as if he were going to blow.

'Yes, he is going to blow, but Goku, he's,' Cassie suddenly thought.

She watched as Goku's mouth moved, saying something but she couldn't hear because the volume was turned down to low,

'or it's the head-phones,' Cassie thought, but that didn't matter, what mattered was,

"GOKU! NO!" Cassie yelled and suddenly all the volume came back to her and her sight as well as she found herself laying on the ground, the dirty, dirty ground, the sun high in the sky and the fight behind her.

She turned quickly, her line of sight sweeping past Piccolo, past Gohan in second level Super Siayan and on to Goku, who had his hand on the bloated Cell, smiling and then disappeared. Tears welled and poured down her face.

'No, no, NO!' Cassie thought as she struggled to stand.

She suddenly felt weak, dizzy and sick. It was as if her mind was trying to work something out.

'Goku, oh, Goku, why? Why can't I, help?' Cassie thought as she felt total disgust for herself.

She couldn't even bare looking at Piccolo. But even over Gohan's sobs and screams, something else caught her, something like a flash of lightening through her head, illuminating only one thing.

'Trunks!' she thought, and as she thought, she acted, using all her energy to fly to Trunks.

As she did, in the corner of her eye as small cloud of smoke began to form, she flew as fast as she could and just as she closed the gap between her and Trunks a flash of light came, bearing into her side, pushing her into Trunks and they both fell. Everything wavered for a moment, her vision a bit blurred as she focused on the man underneath her. She smiled slightly and went to say his name when something forced its way up and out of her mouth. The sudden rush of the taste of copper and the warm liquid flowing from her mouth caused her to cough, and when she did this searing heat found its way deep into her side.

'Am I going to die?' she thought looking down at him as she struggled to keep from laying on him completely.

"Cassie?" Trunks said in a rough, weak voice.

"Trunks," Cassie struggled to say, but her voice was choked and painful.

His hand slowly reached up from his side. Looking as far back as she could Cassie could see they were laying in a pool of blood. His blood soaked hand finally made its way to her face as he cupped it gently.

"I'm, so sorry, I didn't want," he said, but then his eyes dimmed and slowly closed as the face turned and the hand suddenly dropped.

Cassie had to swallow the warm liquid, her vision blurred with tears as she shook her head over and over again.

'No, no, NO!' she thought.

'Common, what did I do wrong?' Cassie thought as she slowly slipped down, allowing her head to rest on his chest.

'What did I do wrong! What was so wrong about wanting to save him! What was so wrong with wanting to save the one I loved most in this world! WHY! Why did it have to end up like this! WHY!' Cassie thought as she drifted off into darkness.

'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why,' Cassie said as things started to become clear again.

'Why,' she thought as she began to regain feeling.

There was the sensation of something cool on her cheek as she turned her head. Her eyes still closed.

'Why,' she thought as she turned her body and something moved with her.

She moved from her side to her back. Her head swam slightly as she rested one arm over her forehead.

'Why,' she thought breathing in the cool air and letting it out slowly.

She slowly opened her eyes, a thin ray of sunshine played across her vision as she removed the arm from her head and found herself looking at a ceiling.

'Why, why do I keep having these odd dreams?' she thought to herself as she pulled back the covers and sat up slowly in the bed.

'Geeze, that one was just like the last one.' She thought as she raised her arms above her head and stretched.

"Cassie! Hurry up, or you're going to be late for school!" a voice carried into the room.

She sat up and turned, putting her bare feet to the cool carpeted floor. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again.

"Yeah Grandma! I'm up! Stop shouting!" Cassie half yelled- half yawned back.

Hurriedly she dressed, pausing at the mirror on her dresser to flatten down her long blonde hair.

"Cassie, if you don't hurry you'll have to go strait to the bus! No breakfast!" her grandmother yelled at her.

That seemed to add a little motivation.

"I said I was coming! Grandpa better not have eaten it all!" Cassie yelled as she took up her back-pack at ran to the kitchen.

After taking her toast and making a sandwich out of her eggs and bacon she waved to her grandmother and ran out the door down the long stretch of her dirt drive-way where the bus had just shut it's doors and drove away. Cassie then sighed.

'I don't want to ask my grandparents for a ride, this sucks.' Cassie thought.

Suddenly a shiny red convertible swerved in off the street and stopped in front of Cassie.

"Somebody miss the bus again?" a girl sat in the passenger seat, her hair was semi-short and turquoise blue.

She wore an almost skimpy outfit of a black tank-top and red-ish pink mini skirt. Sitting beside her was a middle aged man in a black leather jacket, black spiked hair, black mustache, and black shades.

"Thanks, you've saved me again." Cassie said.

"What are friends for?" the girl said with a short laugh.

There was a dull silence after Cassie had gotten into the car.

"Up all night watching that show again I see. What was it? Dragon balls or something?" her turquoise haired friend said off-handedly.

"It's called Dragon Pearls, and yes, I did." Cassie said with a huff and continued to look out at the trees as they went by.

"Yeah, well you should just tape it, like I do for my father. That way, you can get at least a decent night's sleep." She said.

"You watch it too, Mr. Brief?" Cassie asked.

The man only gave a small grunt slash growl.

"Don't mind him, he's just a little cranky. He's got to take me shopping this afternoon after all." The girl said happily.

'That's gotta be nice, having all that money just to throw around like that.' Cassie thought as she stared out at the scenery as it passed.

Once they got to school they headed down the hall to their lockers.

'Same old thing, day in and day out, the only action I ever see is in my dreams.' Cassie thought as she was putting her stuff into her locker and pulling stuff out.

"Common Cassie! Hurry it up! We've got to get going before the bell!" her friends said in aggravation as she bounced slightly with her arms crossed.

"Alright, I just have to," before Cassie could finish someone bumped into her from behind.

She turned to see a tall boy with spiked black hair and school uniform smiling nervously and scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry bout that." He said awkwardly.

"What do you want!" Cassie's friend yelled at the boy.

"Well, you see, I was looking for your brother and, oh, hey!" the boy moved past Cassie and ran to where her friend was.

As Cassie turned her eyes moved in what seemed like slow motion to the boy next to her friend. The boy with short, light violet hair. Something inside seemed to stop, and she didn't seem to remember how to breathe.

"Hey sis! Can I borrow a couple of dollars, it seems I left my wallet back at home." He asked her, his hands held together as if praying.

The girl snickered and then noticed that Cassie was staring. She blinked several times and then clapped her hands together.

"Oh yeah, you two haven't met, Cassie, this is my dork-a-sourus brother Trunks." She said.

For the first time Trunks even realized that Cassie was there, but when he did, he suddenly looked as if he was trying to remember something too. Some look of utter stillness over came his face.

"Trunks, this is my friend Cassie." She said pointing his way to Cassie.

"Trunks, is it?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, and you must be Cassie. Have we met?" he asked.

"Um, I don't think so, but then again," she said.

"It does feel like dejavu." He finished for her.

"Yeah." Cassie said with a smile.

The girl rolled her eyes and the dark-haired boy only smiled.

"You want to go out for a coke sometime?" Trunks asked.

Cassie looked over his face for several seconds.

"Sure." She said with a smile.

He smiled back.

"You're in Class D of the third years, right? Why you hanging out with a first year like my sister?" he asked.

"What was that!" his sister growled.

"And you're a senior, right?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, me and Goten are in the same grade." Trunks said referring back to his friend, who only waved and smiled some.

"Goten, you can be such a dweeb." The girl said.

"Common Bra, don't be so mean." Goten said.

'Something feels right about this, like I've found something I've lost. I wonder if that girl in my dream ever went to the future to be with that guy, or did she just die? Maybe I'll find out in my next dream, something tells me it's going to be a good one.' Cassie thought.

YAAAAAAAAAAY! Finished! Whatcha think? Too dramatic? Too over the top? I told you Dragonball Z would die in the end, but it was a good dead, cause in the end everything ended happily. Now the question was, was it real the whole time? Yeah, she was just dreaming of the world she was living in, a split entity of the real world, and in it she had Dragonball Z, and she found herself there, but in the real world there is no Dragonball Z, it's reality. Though I did through in that odd live action show parity type thing that went by the title Dragon Pearls, it was pure genius! Well, I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and until the next story, I bid you adu! Ja Ne and love always! Usarea.


End file.
